Memoirs of a Hunter Girl
by Ultra-Siou
Summary: It is remarkable how a hunter and a pray create a bond that cannot be broken, even with the greatest tries of them both. In our case, the roles of the two change continuesly; the hunter becomes the hunted. Levy was an exceptional hunter, that knew everything about the mountains, but the mountains were all she knew. Edo era AU Gajevy with references to other pairings!
1. The Beginning Of All Things

**Attention! There has been a problem with the upload of the second chapter, so I deleted the whole story and reuploaded it.**

 **Here is my next story, as promised. I know you will possibly not understand many things about the plot from this chapter, but I assure you it is worth reading.**

'Inga. Cause and effect. "In" is the start of things and "ga" is their end. It takes both to form a story. A female hunter and a white male wolf. The meeting of these two, forms the beginning of this story, or in other words the "In". That young hunter knew almost everything about the mountains. The firmness of earth, when the wind would cease, the paths the beast took. All of these, she learned it from her grandfather.'

The girl sat on a huge rock that stood tall and firm behind her house. She stood still, her legs crossed and her eyes scanning her surroundings. Then she heard it. Steps in the woods. She stood and took an ocular out of her pouch. And there it was. A white male wolf starring right into her eyes, before it turned and started running away. The girl then caught a rope, jumping off the rock and went after the animal. She ran fast. Really fast. Her movements were swift and agile.

'They say that the hunter and the pray are connected by an invisible string. The moment that string is pulled, and strange bond is formed in their heart making them long to be connected.'

They both ran, panting, creating white clouds as soon as their breaths reached the cold atmosphere. It was almost spring, but some snow was still on the trees, since the cold of the mountains didn't let it melt.

Suddenly the wolf reached the edge of a cliff. He had nowhere else to run. He turned to look back. There, had just reached our hunter. She stood still, on a little higher edge, pointing her rifle to the wolf. They exchanged a glance. Completely different than the one they had before.

"Connected" She whispered, before pulling the trigger. She climbed down to its level and walked slowly towards it, taking her hood off. She kneeled in front of its dead body and closed its eyes.

'This girl's name was Levy Mcgarden. She knew everything about these mountains, but the mountains were all she knew.'

* * *

She brought her pray back to her house and began to prepare lunch. She started a fire and hang a pot above it. She filled it with water and threw different ingredients in, to boil. She cleaned the meat and put it in the pot as well. She then went to clean herself, and as soon as she got back her food was ready. She served two bowls, one for her and one for her grandfather, even though he was killed by a bear last year, Levy placed a bowl of food on his shrine every day. That way she felt like they were still eating together like old times.

"It's your favorite today grandpa. Dog stew. Happy? I seasoned it to my taste with not so much miso, though, so you might find it a little lacking." She said as she served her portion. "Itadakimasu!" She wished before she started to dig in and she blew the steam from her soup. Right after she swallowed the first bite, her expression saddened. She sighed and looked down.

"I can't eat all this food." She started sobbing. Then she cried. Her cries could be heard from outside, and a particular person heard them who got close to the house and opened the door.

"Levy dear, what's the matter?" She said.

"Porlyusica-san." She said as she dried her tears with her sleeve.

"Come now, stop crying." The older woman said as she kneeled in front of Levy. She reached in her pocket and took out a letter.

"A letter arrived from Magnolia for you." She handed the paper to Levy, but the girl didn't take it, she just nodded to her. Porlyusica then opened the letter and started reading it out lout.

"Dear Levy. I will take care of you, so come to Magnolia. Finding new happiness for yourself, is the best way to lay the old man to rest. Waiting for you, your brother, Jet.  
P.S. Doctor, please give my sister a few jewels to cover her travel expenses."

The woman folded the paper and gave it to Levy. "What you do now is your choice only."

Levy stared at the paper that had her name on it and got lost in thoughts. A crack sound generating from the fire brought her to reality. "I'll go!" She said, full of determination. "I'll go to my brother in Magnolia!"

 **First off, this story is inspired by the movie "Fuse Teppou Musume no Torimonochou", thus the many referenses and common lines from it. But don't worry. This story is not going to be an exact copy of the movie, just the first couple of chapters have some quotes just to get us in the plot. Also, the next chapter will be up tomorrow with lots of story in it. So, hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	2. Welcome To Magnolia

**Here is the second chapter, as promised. There will be one upload every week, probably on Tuesdays.**

The next day, Levy got up early to gather her things and get ready for the trip. She found one bag, big enough to fit her clothes, not that she had many of them. Her usual wardrobe consisted of a white pair of shorts, yellow tank top and blue vest. Also a dark blue ponjo. After she finished with her luggage, she kneeled in front of her grandfather's shrine and paid her respects to him, promising that she will come back. When she reached the door she took a good look at her precious rifle, folded in a cloth.

"I can't leave you here too." She grabbed it and wrapped it from the cloth around her shoulders. She reached then inside her pocket, getting out a headband, tying her hair in a ponytail, leaving only two locks free at each side of her face. She took a deep breath and reached for the door knob.

Levy had to walk for a couple of hours before she reached the village at the roots of the mountain, which had a train station. After an all-night trip, she arrived at the city of Magnolia. She took a look at her brother's letter and clenched it in her fists. She had never been anywhere apart from the mountains so she thought she had to ask someone for directions. But she was not used in having human interactions. The city was full of people, running around the streets, shouting, working in different shops, nothing like she knew until now.

Suddenly she noticed a commotion a little further and her natural curiosity made her go there and see. Being small, she managed to squeeze her way through the crowd, regretting it immediately when she saw a couple of tables in the middle. On them there where pairs of dragon wings, each pair on a towel to dry the blood and name tags. Levy's face filled with petty for the poor animals and disgust for the man who could do such a thing.

Being in a state of shock, she fell on her knees, until a gruff voice was heard from behind her and brought her back to the world.

"Can't stand the sight, little girl?" He laughed as if it was funny.

"What is this?" She turned to look at him.

"What do you think? The hunters are doing a very good job, hunting down those killers."

"Killers?" Levy stood and shouted at the man. "Those two were only younglings!" She pointed her finger to two of the wings, a white and a black one.

"Young or not, they're still dangerous." A tall man appeared behind Levy. He had blue hair and an unusual tattoo around his right eye. He was also holding a sword, which appeared to have fresh blood on it and Levy's eyes lingered on it for a while. "I've been hunting those two for months. But after I killed their children, they came to me." He pointed at the larger wings with similar patterns as the ones from before.

"Being a hunter means to respect your prey. You must never kill out of revenge or any animal you find into your path." Levy shouted angrily to the blue haired man. He was also wearing a suit that looked like military so she thought he would be some kind of soldier.

"You're a hunter, little girl? You certainly don't look like one, being so small and all." The blue haired man laughed.

"I am!" She pouted. "I come from the mountains, but…I've never seen those things before." She looked over to the 'exhibition', her eyes full of sorrow for the young animals.

"They're one of a kind. Half dragon, half human. A bunch of them came in Magnolia about fifteen years ago. Since then, the people in this town have been terrified of them since they've been killing nonstop. The military of this town hunt them down but they are fast runners and jump so high, there's no hope in catching them. Not to mention their advanced senses, they can hear and smell us from miles away."

"The king ordered every warrior in this city to be recruited into a legion against the dragons. Some of them as you can see here have been captured and killed, but there are many more roaming around the city. Filthy bastards look like ordinary humans, with the exception of a tattoo on some part of their body. Also their scales and winds that appear at will." Another man from the crowd added. "This is captain Jellal Fernandes. He leads one of the teams responsible for hunting in the city.

"Now look at them closely little girl." The blue haired man caught her shoulders and brought her closer to the tables. "Look at their still warm flesh and tell me, are you willing to become one of the hunters? You look like you have potential to hunt those ferocious beasts and-"

With a grunt, Levy escaped from his hold and ran away, not being able to watch those people mock some innocent animals. She could hear them laughing at her but she just continued running. She found a tall wooden construct somewhere, something like a watch tower and climbed on it. From up there she could get some fresh air and enjoy the view of the city.

* * *

Letting the girl go, the blue-haired guard decided to stroll around the city, scanning the area. Suddenly he sensed a pair of eyes on him, he did not know exactly from where, so he reached and held the handle of his sword. Indeed, a tall young man was standing on a nearby roof, watching the guard with piercing red eyes.

"It is time to come out, don't you think?" Jellal stopped walking.

"A couple of days ago you killed Sting and Rogue, two of our youngest members and today Weisslogia and Skiadrum too." The man said with a frustrated voice.

"They were like you bastards. They all got what they deserved and soon the rest of you will too." Jellal laughed.

The man groaned and jumped to a lower ledge. Jellal turned to look at him but noticed he was wearing a dragon-like mask, hiding his face, though his crimson eyes were clearly visible.

"It's you. I've been searching for you the longest. Yet you appeared to me by yourself. Just like the other two." Jellal smirked.

"Then come at me." The man said.

At that moment Jellal raised his sword to strike the masked man, but he, in no time, evaded the attack with a skillful jump. While on air, he pulled a small knife out of his belt and threw it to the guard, stabbing his right eye. Jellal dropped his sword and screamed in pain. The soldiers from Jellal's squad that were nearby, heard his screams and ran to his aid. They circled the masked man who was standing still and calm despite being surrounded.

"Captain!" A woman shouted.

"Get the bastard lieutenant!" He managed to say and his team immediately dashed to the man. A futile try, since the man easily dodged their spears and swords, punching and kicking the soldiers in the process. He also threw some of his daggers to them, hitting only legs and arms to incapacitate them. After, everyone was down, he fixed his jacket and walked to stand right above Jellal. He smirked and walked in the opposite direction.

"What are you waiting for? Get him!" Jellal shouted once again as he tried to stand up. His lieutenant stood along with the rest and ran after their target. The masked man heard the running steps from behind him and started running too, hoping to avoid any more fighting.

* * *

Levy, still on the watchtower, had her knees close to her chest and her eyes closed. And then she heard it. The panting breath of an animal, running through the woods, in this case buildings. She stood and pulled the ocular from her pocket, locating the man, whose running resembled the one of a forest beast. The way he moved his legs, the position of his body and the movement of his arms, she had no doubt. She quickly climbed down and went after him, hoping to find him and learn why.

When the man turned from the alley to enter the main road, he collided with the small girl that just reached there. They both landed on their butts, the girl's bag and rifle falling on the ground. The string that was holding the man's mask on his face snapped and landed also on the ground, revealing his face.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	3. Hello Everyone

**Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry everyone for being two days late for this update. Here is the third chapter to get us to meet the characters a little bit. Action starts later on...**

The two exchanged a stare in silence. The man tried to avoid her gaze but she, in contrast, examined his face fully. She started from his pointy jaw, with traces of stubble on it. Then she noticed two piercings under his lower lip. His nose was also studded, two on each side. Five in each of his ears too. But where she stopped for a while were his red eyes and the piercings above them lining his eyebrows. She snapped out of her starring when soldiers turned from the alley and saw them.

"You two! Freeze!" One shouted.

"Two?!" Levy gulped.

"Finally I saw your face. Now I will never forget." Jellal came forth.

The man growled and stood, picking up his mask and putting it back on. "I will need to borrow this." He said as he picked her rifle from the ground and started running away.

"Hey give it back!" Levy gathered her stuff and ran after him. The two reached a bridge and stopped midway since they were surrounded from both sides.

The man used the rifle as a staff to take down all the soldiers, moving swiftly around, keeping Levy safe from any possible attacks.

"Here, thanks." He handed her gun as soon as he finished. But when Jellal came forth and drew his sword he grabbed it back. "Changed my mind."

The man disarmed Jellal with only one movement, and grabbed him from his shirt, hanging him off the bridge. He pulled a knife out of his belt and kept it close to his left eye. "People like you don't deserve to even see the night sky."

Jellal just looked at him right in the eye. "I'm just kidding." The man said and threw Jellal into the river, flowing under the bridge. He turned to Levy and took a good look at her rifle. "Strange weapon."

"It's a gun!" She took it back from him, wrapped it in its cloth and tied it around her shoulders.

"Anyway, thanks for the help, boy." He climbed down from the ledge and turned his back.

"I'm a girl." She said shyly.

"Huh?" He turned and stood tall before her. "Oh, I see. This is why your cheeks are pink." He pointed.

"N-no! This is frostbite." She blushed.

"Whatever Shorty, seems like we have more company." He saw a couple of guards approaching. "You caused quite a commotion. Gi hee."

"M-me? Eep!" She squealed when he picked her up, threw her on his shoulder and started running away. "Hey! Put me down!" She shouted but no answer. When they were safe, they stopped next to the river that was dividing the city. Gajeel placed her on her feet and kneeled to the edge, turning his mask so that it was placed on the side of his head. He dove his hand into the river, bringing some water to his mouth to drink.

"So, you're looking for your brother." The man said as he dried his mouth with his sleeve.

"Yes, he send me a letter but I didn't think that Magnolia would be so big and crowded."

"Give it to me." He reached his hand to her.

"You really don't have to. I-"

"Just hand it to me. I'll help you." The man received the letter from Levy and took a look at it. "It says the address right here."

"I…can't read." She lowered her head.

"It's on the small island in the river, next to the Cathedral. It's close, I'll get you there." He stood and started walking. Levy then also stood and walked a couple of steps behind him. Their trip was silent and she had time to scan him. A gray tank top, brown pants, metal-studded black boots and a black coat. As she stared, her eyes stopped at his long black hair that looked more like a mane.

"I like your hair." She said and immediately covered her mouth, realizing she said that out loud.

"What about them?" He looked at her over his shoulder.

"They…look so shiny." She tried to hide her blush.

"Is that so." He turned to examine her. She really made him wonder. "Do you…feel comfortable around me?"

"Well, I never had interactions with many people before, but I feel something coming from you. Nothing like those soldiers from before." He was sure he saw her eyes glow.

"You're a strange one, aren't you?" He sighed and jumped on a wooden pole that emerged from the water of the river. "This is the place." He pointed behind him.

Levy walked towards the bridge and located her brother. The man jumped from the pole to the ledge of the bridge, somehow showing off his skills. Levy's brother was on a ladder, trying to repair a hole on the wooden wall of a house. He was holding with one hand a piece of wood towards the hole and a hammer in the other.

Levy's eyes filled with tears as she whispered. "Nii-san." Then she placed her hands in both sides of her mouth and shouted once more. "Sarusuke-nii-san!"

He got startled and fell from the ladder, the piece of wood landing in his head. He rubbed the impact area and opened his one eye to see who the one that called him was. His both eyes opened wide when he distinguished his sister standing on the bridge. "Levy?"

Levy whispered his name and ran to his arms with eyes full of tears. They hugged and cried in happiness for meeting again after all those years. "Levy! You got my letter! I've missed you so much! How have you been?" A few tears running from his eyes.

"I missed you too, nii-san." Levy cried in his chest.

"How did you find the place though?"

"This man helped me- huh? Where did he go?" She turned towards the bridge but the strange man had disappeared.

"Never mind. Come on, let me show you my house." Sarusuke opened the door for her. "It's nothing much, but it's comfy. You can have the loft up top. Make yourself at home."

Levy looked around and climbed the small ladder to examine the upper floor. "So Magnolia isn't only big and rich buildings huh?"

"It is small, but I will build you a bigger one once I get the chance." He teased and she pouted.

Levy let her stuff on her mattress and opened the roof window right above it. She passed through it and stood on the roof, enjoying the view of the small island. She could count only five people around and thought this must be a very private neighborhood.

"Levy, come down here. We need to talk." Her brother called her.

Levy climbed down and sat opposite to him, legs folded under her. "Yes, nii-san."

"First of all, no one here knows me by my name. Everyone calls me Jet. Secondly, you have grown to become a natural at hunting. Being born a girl hasn't stopped you from developing into a fine hunter. Grandpa always praised you for that, said you had a gift. That's why, I will take you with me for hunting tomorrow. And if everything goes well, I will gain a place in the army."

"What do you mean?"

"I already am a samurai. And with your skills as well, we will succeed for sure."

"What-" Levy started talking but was interrupted by the voices from outside the house.

"Did you see? Jet has a girl in his house."

"Have you seen her before?"

"She looks young."

Jet grunted and stood, heading to the door. He slammed it open and stomped outside, startling the people that were spying him.

"Oi! If you're going to snoop, put some effort into it and snoop properly." He glared at them.

"Well, good day, young lady, nice to meet you." One of the men said, looking behind Jet, where Levy was standing. "My name is Macao and this is my son, Romeo." He put his hand on the boy's head. The boy had to be around twelve years old and he looked exactly like his father.

"I saw you on the roof before!" Romeo waved at Levy.

"Um, hello. My name is Levy. Nice to meet you all." Levy bowed.

"My sister." Jet crossed his arms.

"Heh?" The three men said together.

"But she doesn't look like you at all!" Macao got close to Levy and scanned her face.

"Not alike at all." Romeo added.

"Um, I'm Droy…We all live in these old houses here. This is the house of the boat man, Alzack. He is at work now and hasn't come back yet." A man with black hair said, who also seemed to blush while looking at Levy.

"This place is not much, but it sure is silent and has a great view." Romeo caught Levy's hand and showed her around. Levy smiled at the beautiful view of the sunset, along with the leaves of all the sakura trees, flying around. "I'm sure you're going to like it here, Levy-nee." Romeo smiled at her.

They all turned at the sound of pots clinging, only to see the boat coming from the river. A young man with black hair tied the boat and helped a green haired woman carry different pots and dishes on the table next to the small 'port'.

"Hey guys! Grab your plates!" The woman shouted.

Everyone then got to their houses and got a bowl and chopsticks and went in line to take their food.

"Couldn't Alzack row any faster?" Droy pouted.

"Oh boy, am I hungry." Romeo said.

"Here Levy, I got one for you." Jet gave Levy her plate. "Her name is Bisca. She lives here, but is in town all day selling her famous food. And at night she comes here as a last stop. And this is Alzack. He helps her with the deliveries. Don't say anything but he secretly has a huge crush on her."

Levy got her bowl and walked by the counter. It had all kinds of stuff, from fish to pie and soups. After Bisca and Alzack met Levy, they all sat on the table to eat. A couple of hours later they all got to their houses to sleep and so did Jet and Levy. She opened the roof window so that she could gaze at the stars. That didn't last for long since sleep took her earlier than she expected.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	4. A Thank You Gift

**2016 will be here in a couple of hours and I thought of updating the last chapter of 2015. Hope everyone will have a great year, with lots and lots of fun and Fairy Tail. Happy New Year to everyone from me!**

The next morning, Levy and Jet got up early and started getting ready. Jet gave clothes to Levy and tied her hair up in a bun.

"What will our prey be, nii-san?" Levy asked as they started walking to the city.

"This city is contaminated with those human-dragon bastards, called the dragon slayers. They kill everyone that dares to come against them. The king decided to hire every person that will be able to kill at least one of those beasts. With our skills combined, I will be able to get a place in the king's army. The payment is huge and the glory also." Jet explained.

"I saw their wings yesterday. In the city." Flashes of the amputated wings came to Levy's mind.

"Today we will go to a place that it's going to be full of dragon slayers. It's the Fantasia Festival, where women are not allowed, this is why I dressed you to look like a boy. They blend with ordinary citizens and it's hard to find them. Their canine fangs shows them away and so does their scent."

"And the tattoo. A guard I met yesterday explained that to me. But what is their weakness?"

"Whatever will do. But if they get angry, their wings and nails come out and some of them also have scales. If you get the wings, they die instantly. It's like cutting their souls off."

"Is that so?" Levy looked down and bumped onto her brother's back as he stopped walking.

"Here it is Levy. The Fantasia Festival. Try to stay close to me or else you'll get lost."

Levy's eyes widened in awe for what she saw before her. It was a huge open place with multiple tents in both sides of the road. Sakura trees decorated the streets and the pink leaves on the ground added a special kind of beauty to all. As they passed under the huge gate, she noticed that women were standing in from of the tents, calling men to come and 'keep them company'. She immediately understood what this place was for. Without her realizing it, Jet was gone and she was grabbed by a couple of women, offering her to join them in their tent. They didn't know she was a girl of course.

"Please I'm looking for someone." She tried to get free.

"Come on. We're going to have a great time together." One woman pulled her from her left sleeve.

"No, I think he prefers me." Another woman pulled from her right.

"There you are." A third, masculine voice was heard. "I've been looking all over for you, Shrimp." Levy raised her eyes, only to see the studded man from yesterday.

"Shrimp? You're a girl? Then why are you here?" One of the women pushed Levy to the man's chest. He caught her and he was sure he saw her blush before she pulled back quickly.

"Making life harder for us." Another woman pouted.

"Damn right she is a girl." He placed an arm around her shoulders making her blush even more than before. "And she's mine!" He smirked.

"Oh, she's with you, Kurogane?" One woman said, with a frightened expression.

"Pretty much." The man said.

"Then go. And come drop us some money another time."

The man turned, Levy still under his arm, and headed to the opposite direction. He waved to the women but remained silent. Levy took a glance on his face, seeing how serious he was. They turned into an alley, hiding from the crowd, and he let his arm loose, allowing Levy to go.

"Um, thank you." She said shyly, fumbling with the fabric of her kimono.

"This happens when you're dressed like that. I guess these are your brother's." He said, scanning the male clothing, and Levy just nodded. "Come follow me." He turned and started running.

"H-hey!" She protested.

"I won't hurt you. This way." He looked at her over his shoulder.

Levy gripped her gun and followed him. After a couple of minutes of walking, Levy saw the man stop in front of a shop. "Blue Pegasus…" She read the sign. The man entered but she decided to wait outside, although she didn't have a choice. The man reached his hand and pulled her through the curtain that was used as door. It was a clothes shop. A rather expensive one too. She looked up to see all the beautiful and colorful dresses and kimonos hanged from the roof. The selves were full of shoes and accessories.

"Why are we here?" She asked, not removing her eyes from the dresses.

"I'll buy you something. As a thanks for yesterday. Pick whatever you like." He smirked.

"I-I can't just choose anything." She blushed deep red as she got close to the shoes.

"Look who came to visit. My old friend Kurogane." A man said from the upper floor.

"Ichiya-san. Find a dress for my friend here that will suit her." The red-eyed man said, leaving Levy in the owner's mercy.

"Oh what a beautiful face. Come this way child, I've got just the one." Ichiya scanned Levy at first and then pulled her to the back room. "You stay here." He ordered the studded man.

Kurogane grunted and walked around the store. He seemed bored waiting for them to finish, until his eyes landed on a pretty piece of cloth. He examined it and smiled, thinking that it would suit the girl perfectly and placed it back on its place. During that time he had heard a couple of grunts and pouts from Levy, mostly 'this doesn't suit me' or 'I can't wear this.'

Into the fitting room, Ichiya was helping Levy tie her dress. "Is he your boyfriend?" He whispered.

"N-no, it isn't like that." She blushed.

"He's not easy to approach but he is a very good boy. Despite his appearance and thick as iron exterior, he is a wonderful person"

The two finished and exited. Kurogane had his back turned but as soon as he heard them he turned. And froze. His eyes and mouth hung wide open and there was the pink color forming on his cheeks. "Wow…" He whispered. He rubbed his chin and got close. "There's something missing." He cleared his throat. Without any more explanation he turned and grabbed the piece of cloth he saw before and handed it to Ichiya. He then untied her hair from the bun and wrapped the cloth on her head, letting her blue hair down and out of her eyes. Now she was complete. An orange dress reaching her thighs and a white ribbon in front of her chest, tying behind her neck. And as a finishing touch, a yellow headband with two pink flowers on the side.

Kurogane looked at Ichiya and grinned. "We'll take it." Levy got out of the dress and put on her kimono, giving the new clothing to Ichiya, to wrap them up for them.

* * *

Their walk back was silent. Levy kept close to her chest the bag with her new clothes, while Kurogane was walking a couple of steps behind. He had a dead expression in his eyes that were looking directly at her. When they reached the festival, Levy turned abruptly, snapping him out of his thoughts, bowed and thanked him. "Thank you, for the clothes and walking with me back here."

"I was just returning the favor. See ya around Shrimp." He turned and started walking away.

"What's with 'shrimp'? I have a name." She pouted.

"Alright, Levy then." He turned.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"I saw it on the letter." He smiled while he headed to leave again.

"How about you tell me your name? Kurogane cannot be your real one."

"You're right" He looked at her over his shoulder. "It's Gajeel." And with that he disappeared into the crowd.

Levy took a deep breath stepped into the square in search of Jet. She located him under the central clock. "Nii-san!" She shouted as she ran to him.

"Levy, I've been searching everywhere for you. The parade is about to begin." He caught her wrist and dragged her to stand in the crowd.

"Nii-san, I can't see anything." Levy jumped but the men around her were too tall and she was just too short.

"Come on, I'll get you on my shoulders." Jet lowered, allowing Levy to sit on his shoulders, but as he got up he lost his balance and fell, Levy landing on the cart that was passing in front of them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it was an accide-" Levy stood and tried to help the woman that she had fallen onto. But as soon as she caught her hand, a shiver went through her spine. She sniffed the air, recognizing the beast smell and immediately searched for any tattoos. The woman's dress had ripped from the fall and the white tattoo on her left calf was visible.

"You're one of them…" Levy whispered. The white haired woman smirked in return, revealing her canine teeth. She laughed while she stood, jumping playfully.

"She's a dragon slayer!" Levy shouted, grabbing her rifle and pointing at the woman.

"Catch me if you can." The woman mocked and ran away.

Jet pulled his sword and shouted "Everyone evacuate! Levy, get on the roofs, maybe we will be able to surround her." Levy nodded and climbed on a house, while Jet took the streets.

After a while of chasing, Levy got on shooting range and aimed at the fleeing woman. Sweat ran down her forehead as she whispered "Connected." and shot, hitting her on her shoulder. She, now badly injured, fell and landed a couple of meters away. Levy followed the blood trail, finally finding her half dead sitting under a tree.

Levy raised her gun and asked, "Why do you kill people?"

"You must be new, I've never seen you before. So this is what they told you? Silly girl. We don't kill anyone. Only the ones who deserve it." She said as she geared on her scales and winds, colored white with pink patterns.

"Levy!" Jet ran in front of Levy, raising his sword to the woman's neck.

"Do it. I knew my time was coming. And you girl, find out the truth, I know you can." She smiled at Levy.

"How did you know?" Levy let down her rifle.

"You're a girl alright. Those clothes cannot deceive me."

"Shut up!" Jet shouted and with a swift movement, chopped the woman's wings off, causing her to die instantly. Jet panted heavily from the shock. He turned to look at his sister, his face and clothes covered on blood.

"We did it Levy." He smiled and dropped on his knees.

They both got startled when they heard someone cry out the word "LISANNA!" but the source was nowhere to be found.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one (next year).**


	5. Friends

**Hey there! One day late again but meh what can you do about it...Anyway here is another chapter based on the secondary characters of this srory with some hints of two of my favorite pairings. So, about the scouting legion, it is the elite team of soldiers that they engage with the enemy at sight, without retreating to call for backup, like any other soldier from the castle does. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask!**

 _Flashback._

A guard of the scouting legion was walking around Magnolia, somewhat close to the festival. The streets were empty and the only sounds were the noise of his whistling and his boots as he walked on the stone road.

"I see you could use a breather from work." A man that was sitting on a tree said.

"Huh? You know, the festival's today. Not much to do. How about you?"

"Just got bored in the pub. Not even one customer since morning. I left Mira there to take care of things, while I took some air." The man jumped down from the tree and walked next to the other.

"Laxus! You left your pregnant wife to mind the whole shop? What if it suddenly gets full?"

"Don't worry. If she might have any kind of trouble, I'd be the first to know." He winked cunningly.

"I'll never understand your kind." The soldier sighed.

"Yeah…like you haven't gone through this with my sister-in-law." Laxus laughed and placed his hand behind his head, ruffling his blond hair.

"Lisanna? Nah, we figured that it's best not to ask, so we don't." The man blushed.

"Where is she now? Mira told me that she wanted to see the parade."

"Yeah, she did. I thought about going there to find her, as soon as my shift was over." As soon as he spoke, a gunshot was heard from afar. Both men turned to look at each other.

"Looks like you'll be finishing later than you expected."

The two men got separated, trying to find the origin if the bang. The first one that reached the place was the guard, whose eyes widened in shock at first and then filled with tears.

"LISANNA!" He shouted and jumped to run closer to the tree, but Laxus caught him and pulled him in cover, behind a bush.

"There's nothing we can do now. We are too late." Laxus tried to reason him.

"No! I have to kill them. They took her away from me!" He cried and tried to get free, but Laxus was way stronger than him.

"Bixlow! Calm down. Killing those two won't bring her back!" Laxus grabbed his shoulders and shook them.

"My Lis…she's gone…" Bixlow cried heavily and fell on his knees.

Laxus looked over to the scene and saw the two hunters just grabbing the amputated wings and leaving. He saw the shorter boy turn back to see the dragon for one last time and then he was on his heels again. He was sure he saw pain and regret in his eyes. He could hear him say "Nii-san, aren't we gonna bury her?" and he answered by only a negative nod.

Laxus got his jacket off and jumped close to the body, wrapping it and carrying it to the sobbing Bixlow.

"I'm going to take her to Fairy Tail. The funeral will be late at night. This time you will be allowed to come. So please be there."

"Just, treat her well." Bixlow said without raising his head or getting up as Laxus headed the other way.

* * *

After Levy and Jet returned home, they took a bath and went straight to bed.

"Tomorrow we're gonna deliver the wings." Jet muttered.

"Hmm" Levy hummed.

Levy did not sleep that night and she was almost sure Jet was awake too. She just gazed into the night sky and the woman's words replayed in her mind again and again. This was going to be Levy's first sleepless night. And there were more to come.

* * *

In the morning, Jet dressed in his formal clothes and headed for the palace to try his luck. He knew Levy did not sleep during the night and that she just fell asleep a couple of hours ago, so he decided not to wake her up. A couple of guards led him to the general of the military, who placed him in the elite guards. He received a uniform, which he wore immediately, and went off to meet his new colleagues. His official training would start from tomorrow. He saw a couple of soldiers gathered, took a deep breath and went to talk to them.

"So you're the new guy." A dark haired man said.

"Gray, clothes." A red-head appeared behind him. The man was naked, only wearing his boxers and his belt.

"Hello everyone. I'm Jet." He said shyly.

"You must be very good with this sword to be able to kill this dragon slayer. She always slipped, due to her agility." The armored woman said.

"Yeah, I've been training with it since I was little." Jet tapped his sword.

"We're glad to have you here. I'm Erza Scarlet, captain of the scouting legion. And this is my team of elites, Gray, Evergreen and Bixlow."

"I always admired you guys. I dreamed of becoming one of you." Jet tried to restrain himself from squealing like a schoolgirl.

"You have to work hard for it. And be prepared to give your life for the team." Bixlow approached and glared at him. Fortunately, Bixlow was wearing his helmet that covered half his face and Jet or the others couldn't see his face. His eyes were puffed from crying and the lack of sleep. Also they were full of hatred for the man who killed his loved one, and he was just standing in front of him, completely unaware. Bixlow promised his Lisanna that he would take revenge for her, and then he would never kill again. He would quit the military and rest.

The tension between the two was cut off when Jellal called for Erza. The two moved a little further so that they could talk in private.

"Jellal, what did the doctor say?" Erza placed her hand on his face, tracing her fingers next to his injured eye.

"It's too late for it. But I have worse news." He placed his hand above hers. "I've been demoted. I'll be your lieutenant now. The king himself kicked me out of his personal guards, because of my failure to capture Kurogane. Like I haven't killed four dragons in one week." He explained.

"Don't worry, honey. We'll get through this. Besides, now you'll have me to protect you."

Jellal blushed deeply at his girlfriend's words. "Erza, I want to figure out what the king is planning. He mentioned only some things about his plan, but I want to dig out the rest. Will you help?"

She only smiled and nodded.

* * *

Levy woke up at early noon. She sat up on the mattress and rubbed her eyes. She could feel her head and bones hurt and she was sure this was the worst sleep of her life. She felt the need to take a stroll around the city, so she could clear her mind a bit. But she was wrong. The city reminded her more of yesterday's events so she sat on the sidewalk and held her knees close to her chest. Suddenly she felt something on her hand. She opened her eyes only to see a small white dog licking her fingers. She smiled and petted the animal, who seemed rather friendly.

"Plue? Where are you?" A woman shouted and the dog waged its tail.

Levy saw the nametag on the dog's collar so she caught the leash and stood, understanding that the dog belonged to that woman.

"Here, is this your dog?" She handed it to the woman.

"Oh yes! Thank you very much for finding him. Why did you ran away mister?" The girl scolded the dog. "What can I do to thank you?"

"Nothing really. It's okay."

"No please. Let me buy you something to drink."

So, Levy and the girl headed to a beverage shop and sat on one of the tables. They ordered and waited for their drinks.

"I'm Lucy by the way."

"Levy. Nice to meet you." She smiled.

"You don't seem to be from around here."

"That's right. I'm from the mountains. I came here three days ago."

"Wow! And why did you come here?"

"I was alone up there, not that I minded, so I came here to live with my brother. He works in the military." Her expression saddened.

"He's one of them." Lucy said with a similar tone as Levy's.

"You don't like them either?"

"No. They kill innocent people and they call them animals and beasts. I've seen them many times before. They're just like us. I try to figure them out so I can finish my book."

"You're writing a book?"

"Yes, here. Do you want to read it until this point?" Lucy reached in her bag and handed the book to Levy.

"I-I can't read."

"What? That's impossible. Well, let me teach you! I always wanted to become a teacher anyways." Lucy caught Levy's hands in hers.

"Um, okay I guess."

"Perfect! Come by my house tomorrow to start the lessons." Lucy seemed very excited for her new student and gave her directions to her house.

After their drinks arrived, the two girls talked and talked and talked until it was dusk. They said their goodbyes and each headed her way. She was Levy's first female friend.

* * *

Along the way, Levy stopped when he heard a gruff voice calling her.

"Hey Shrimp."

"Gajeel? Is that you?" She tried to locate him in the dark.

"I see you remember my name." he came forward.

"Why shouldn't I?" She smiled but it quickly disappeared when he pushed her against a wall, placing his hands next to her head, caging her. A long shiver from fear ran up her spine as she watched into his piercing red eyes.

"Because you have to forget about me. We must not see each other ever again."

"What do you mean? Why-?" He closed her mouth with his hand.

"Do you understand? I don't want to have anything to do with you!" He shouted this time. He felt Levy tremble, so he let her go. He saw her slip from him and run away, sobbing. Gajeel leaned on the wall and covered his eyes with his palms. "I'm sorry it had to be done like this. It was the only way to keep you safe." He whispered to himself. He saw Bixlow's face last night, during Lisanna's funeral, and he didn't want in any way Levy to end up dead because of his nature. So he had to put some distance between them. He thought it would grand her safety.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	6. Secters Revealed

**New chapter for ya and on time...Whooo!**

For the next week, Levy visited Lucy's house every day. They studied intensively and Levy, being smart and all, learned to read very fast. Lucy also borrowed her some books to practice, which Levy would finish in a night. Levy never talked to anyone about Gajeel. She had started to like this guy but the way he pushed her away, led her to the question why would he do something like that after everything he did for her.

Also, Levy learned that Lucy's family is one of the richest in the country. Their house was huge, nothing like hers. While she only lived with her father, since her mother died when she was little, Lucy was completely independent. She also had a job in the bookshop, not that she needed the money. Lucy explained to Levy that her father was a writer, and that's what made her love books and writing so much as well, a microbe she transferred to Levy when she decided to teach her to read.

* * *

One day, Levy was sitting by the river, reading a book she just bought. She got startled when someone came and sat right next to her. He didn't say anything, he was just there with his eyes closed, letting the sunlight bathe his face. Levy tried to resist talking to him or maybe running away. She scooted a little further, setting a two feet distance between them.

"How you doin' Shrimp?" He suddenly spoke without turning to look at her.

"Since when do you care?" Again she didn't raise her nose from the book.

He sighed. "Listen. I didn't mean it. It was a bad day for me and I guess I let it out on you."

"Well, you shouldn't. And I'm not just going to forgive you. You scarred and hurt me that night." She put the book in her backpack and stood.

"I had some troubles at home…and…" He tried to explain but he couldn't reveal the details to her.

"Gajeel, I don't want any excuses. I understand." Levy started walking away, leaving him behind.

"Just…wait!" He sat up and ran after her. "I made a mistake. I shouted and scared you for no fucking reason. But I'm sorry. Really. And I promise that I will find the courage to explain all this to you someday."

Levy smiled. "Okay."

"Really?" He didn't think it would be so easy.

"Yeah. So, care to walk with me?" Levy asked.

Gajeel just put his hands in his pockets and walked next to her. They both were silent, not knowing how to start a conversation. Levy noticed her cheeks started to warm up, just like they did before, every time she was with him. She didn't know what was happening to her. Even after what he did, she just couldn't stay angry at him. She could see it in his eyes that he regretted it, so she knew she did the right thing to forgive him.

"Did you learn to read?" Gajeel interrupted her line of thought.

"Um yes. My friend taught me."

"That's good."

"Gajeel, do you mind waiting for me? I want to go to the bookshop for a minute." She pointed at the store at the opposite site of the road.

"Yeah sure. I'll be out here." He followed her and leaned at the wall next to the entrance while she got inside.

As soon as Levy entered she noticed it was empty. She looked around and located Lucy in the cashier. She approached only to see a frightened Lucy nodding her not to come any closer. Levy silently walked back but she stumbled on a bookcase behind her. One man dashed to her and caught her, throwing her next to Lucy.

"And stay quiet." He ordered.

"There are no money here." The other guy appeared.

"Tell us where you keep the jewels!" The first man caught Lucy by her collar and shook her.

Lucy closed her eyes in fear and trembled.

"Let her go!" Levy shouted as she jumped onto the man.

"You feisty pest. You think you can go against thieves all by yourself?" The two men caught her and pinned her on the ground. One of them took out his sword and pointed the peak at Levy's throat. "I'll teach you a lesson." He raised his sword and laughed evilly.

Levy closed her eyes shut and thought the last thing she would hear was Lucy crying out her name. But that never happened. The sound of the sword cutting the air was interrupted suddenly but a 'cling'. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Gajeel standing above her, one arm flexed towards the guy that pinned her down, who was now on the floor with a broken nose, and his other hand holding the blade of the sword. It appeared he had caught it midway…with his hand.

With a swift movement, Gajeel broke the blade and kicked the man, throwing him on a bookshelf, all books falling on him. He turned and helped Levy stand.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Thank you. Lucy!" She turned to check on the blonde.

Lucy was just standing there, her eyes and mouth wide open. Unlike Levy, Lucy saw the whole thing. Gajeel's speed and strength was immeasurable. Just one punch and kick knocked down two large men. And then, what made her lose her breath was the way he caught the sword with his bare hand. Well, 'bare'. When he let go, she saw his palm was covered with iron scales, which disappeared when he kneeled to help Levy.

"Lucy? Hello?" Levy moved her hand in front of her face.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. It's just…the…shock! That's it! The shock from the robbery."

"Did they hurt you?" Levy asked.

"No, no. They just came for money."

"You have to call the guards to pick them up." Levy said.

"You do it. shrimp. I have to get going." He rushed outside and the two girls saw him jumping on a roof.

Lucy turned to Levy and gave her a sly look. "My home, now. I want to know everything."

Levy blushed at her friend's comment. She knew Lucy believed that there was something going on between the two, even though she just saw them for two minutes. What would she tell her? Maybe she should start from the beginning. The whole night passed with the two girls discussing about Gajeel. Levy felt slightly embarrassed, but she liked talking about him. At Levy's every word, Lucy was fangirling, telling Levy that he definitely likes her. Denying everything, Levy was blushing darker and darker. But deep inside she knew that she had started to feel something more for her studded friend, even though she tried to suppress it.

* * *

The next morning, Levy exited her house and stretched. She returned late last night so she woke late as well. No one was in the neighborhood and she guessed they were all at work. She walked to the spring and washed her face.

"Hey there, sleepyhead." A gruff voice called.

"Gajeel?!" She turned, startled. "What are you doing here?"

"I left you yesterday without saying anything."

"Oh it's okay. I know you have issues with the military." She laughed as she dried her face with a towel.

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hey, Shorty? I noticed your friend was looking at me a little strange."

"She was? I didn't notice." She entered her house and Gajeel leaned on the outer wall.

"Does she know?" He simply asked.

"Maybe." She answered but then no further question came. He was silent so she decided to ask him. But the moment she climbed down from the loft up, he was standing right in front of her.

"Do you know?" His piercing eyes were locked on hers.

Levy flushed and tried to look away, but his broad chest blocked her view.

"Don't make me ask again, Shrimp."

"Yes! I do." She covered her eyes with her arms and he took a step back.

He sat on the steps in front of the porch and rubbed his forehead. "How?"

"Well, I'm a pretty good hunter. I sensed you from miles away the first day we met." She placed her forearm on his head.

"And you still wanted to be around me? Weren't you scared?" His eyes looked up.

"No…I knew you were not going to hurt me. And I also know that your people don't kill anyone. I found that out the previous week." She sat next to him. "Lucy has been studying dragon slayers for years and she has written a book about them."

"So she knows about me too."

"Gajeel? You do know that my brother killed that female dragon, right? And that I was the reason we caught her?" Her eyes started to tear up.

"Hey, Shrimp! Don't cry. It was not your fault." He reached to touch her but quickly pulled back.

"Of course it's my fault. And that's why you didn't want to see me for a week. I killed a member of your family and you were angry at me. You wanted to kill me. Because this is what dragon slayers do. They only kill the ones that took the lives of their friends."

"You are very smart for your size. You figured us out in a matter of days. But I want you to know one thing Shorty." He caught her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "I'm never going to hurt you. Do you hear me? What your friend failed to mention was that we always pay our depts. And I still owe you."

Levy dried her tears with her sleeve and smiled at Gajeel. He quickly turned to look away and muttered something she didn't quite understand. Maybe this was the first time she saw the great dragon slayer blush.

"Hey Gajeel? What do you say we go to the theater tonight? One of Lucy's father's books will be performed by the theatrical team of the city. She invited me. Do you want to come along?" She reached her hand for him to reach.

His eyes widened at her sudden invitation and he felt his heart jump. 'What was that?!' he thought. Gajeel, not wanting to sound sappy, he stood tall before her and shoot her with one of his famous toothy grins.

"I'll come pick you up at seven." And with that he turned his back and jumped at the other side of the small river.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	7. Meet My Family

**Here is chapter seven and we finally get to meet the Fairy Tail gang. Also thank all of you that favorited, followed and reviewed this story. I'm really greatful!**

"Lucyyy!" Levy shouted under Lucy's window.

Lucy opened it and ordered the guard on the door to let her in. The bluenette quickly climbed the stairs and entered Lucy's room.

"I have a date with Gajeel!" She announced and the two girls hugged and screamed in excitement. "I need you to help me get ready."

"Of course. Although, I don't have any clothes that might suit you." Lucy rubbed her chin as she scanned Levy's form.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I have just the thing."

Lucy helped Levy dress and apply her make up. Lucy borrowed her a pair of sandals, which fitted perfectly with her clothes. Then, Levy had to return to her house, since that was their meeting place.

* * *

It was almost seven when Levy decided to exit her house and go wait for Gajeel at the other side of the bridge. She said her goodbyes to Droy and Romeo, who happened to notice her. When she walked over to the bridge, she saw him leaning with his back on a tree, his eyes checking the sundown. Being a dragon slayer, his advanced hearing allowed him to hear the light steps he knew they belonged to Levy. He grinned and decided to turn to look at her. But he was completely stunned. It was like a whole different person in front of him. She was wearing the dress he had bought for her, a pair of red sandals and the headband. This was definitely his favorite part of her attire. It held her hair out of her face, leaving only a pair of curly locks on each side. She also had a little make up on, not that she needed it, since her natural beauty was breathtaking. The beauty of the sunset didn't even count against hers.

He shook his head to clear his mind and nodded for her to follow. They walked side by side, never exchanging any words. Levy also noticed he was well dressed. It was the first time she saw him like that and she had to admit he looked very handsome. He had a pair of black pants, not his usual baggy ones, but those that fit perfectly on his tall form, and black shoes and a white shirt whose sleeves when folded up his forearms. She giggled when her eyes reached his hair that were definitely combed.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. I-I just like the cologne you're wearing." She lied and told the truth at the same time. The smell reached her nose and she inhaled deeply, enjoying the odor of him and the fragrance combined.

The two reached the theater and sat on their seats. They seemed to quite enjoy the show, being a romantic/comedy one. Lucy, seated next to Levy noticed the two blushing and stealing glances of each other when the actors did or said something romantic.

"Lucy, we'll get you home." Levy offered to Lucy after the show ended.

"No, no. you don't have to. I'll wait for my father to finish and we'll go together." Lucy tried to persuade them. She really wanted to give the two a little privacy. From the little time that she saw them together she knew they needed a push. She would let them be tonight and she would take action from tomorrow.

Gajeel and Levy walked slowly into the dark empty streets of Magnolia, heading somewhere she didn't actually know. Gajeel's eyes were wary of their surroundings and his hands in his pockets. Levy looked at his unavailable hands and sighed, wanting deep inside to hold hands with him. Like he read her thoughts, he removed his one hand from the pocket, ruffled his hair and then he set it back down. Levy, without giving it much thought, reached and entwined his hand in his, and he responded. She missed his confused expression while trying to hide her own blush.

"Um, Gajeel? Where are we going? It's pretty dark already and I have to return home."

"Don't worry Shrimp. I'm not gonna let anyone get you. Or I'm not gonna eat you, if that's what you're scarred of." He teased. "You trust me, right?"

"Of course."

After ten minutes of walking they reached a building and stopped in front of it. Gajeel reached the door knob, which had a fairy like symbol curved on it, and twisted it, opening the door for her.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Shrimp." He placed his hand on her back, prompting her to walk inside.

"A bar?" She asked, confused.

"Only half of it." He showed her the way upstairs.

The bar was empty and the chairs were upside down on the tables. Only a man was behind the counter, cleaning a couple of glasses. "Oi Kurogane! What is this?" He asked.

"Shut up, blondie. She's with me." Gajeel ignored him. "Don't worry about him. He doesn't like strangers and he's snob as fuck." He whispered to Levy's ear, which made her jump.

"I don't mind. I know that you have to protect your family from strangers." The two now reached the second floor, which was full of dorms. At the end of the hall, there was an open door and a man standing in front of it.

"Fight me Gajeel!" He shouted and in a matter of seconds, Gajeel dashed and started sparring with the pink-haired man.

Levy walked towards them, only to be amazed by the large room before her. It was a simply decorated living room, with multiple couches, tables and a kitchen at the corner.

"Don't be scarred. They do that every time they see each other. Come and sit with us." A dark-blue haired girl caught Levy's hand and pulled her to the couch.

"H-hello." Levy said shyly.

"Don't be shy, girl. Come drink with us." A woman holding a wine bottle said.

"I'm Wendy and this is Cana. The boy fighting with Gajeel is Natsu. They do that a lot to figure out who is stronger but they're just like brothers.

"I'm Happy and this is Carla." A little boy holding a girl's hand said. They both didn't look over seven years old.

"Hello!" Levy greeted them with a smile on her face.

"So, did you meet them all, Shrimp?" A messed up Gajeel said, causing Levy to giggle. His clothes were dirty and ruffled and his hair was all over the place.

"Brother!" A ten year old, dark skinned boy ran and jumped on Gajeel. He caught him and tossed him to the air, both laughing.

"Hey there, buddy." Gajeel snuggled with the boy and he, in return, wrapped his small arms around his neck.

"Shorty, this is my brother Lily. Lily, this is Levy." He introduced the two.

"Wow, you're really beautiful." Lily said and Levy blushed.

"Well, thank you."

"Lily?" A voice was heard from another room. Gajeel froze, fear filling his eyes as Lily jumped off him and ran to where the voice came from.

Natsu walked over to him and tapped his shoulder. "Nice knowing ya, metal head."

The man entered the living room and everyone stood still and silent. He was tall and muscular, with silver hair and red eyes, just like Gajeel's. He looked at Gajeel angrily and then his eyes averted to Levy, who felt a shiver run up her spine.

"Brother." Another man appeared behind the first and snapped everyone out of their staring. This one had red hair and wore a scarf, similar to Natsu's so she thought he was his father.

Gajeel moved and stood protectively in front of Levy. His father sighed and looked at him with a concerning glance now. "May we talk for a moment?"

Gajeel gave a reassuring look at Levy and followed his father. Natsu's father fist pumped his shoulder and smiled. Gajeel entered the hall and saw his father in one of the rooms, standing in the middle of it with his arms folded on his chest. He entered and closed the door behind him.

"What were you thinking?" He asked with a more concerned voice than angry.

"She will keep our secret. I trust her completely."

"Son, I'm worried. About our safety. How do you know she's not one of those hunters? Or that things won't turn out the same as last week, with Lisanna."

"It wasn't Bixlow's fault. And the Shrimp will not betray us. I know it. You have to trust me on this. But I cannot explain the reason to you." Gajeel looked somewhere else to avoid his father's gaze.

"Alright. I have no choice but to respect your judgment." He stood in front of his son.

"Thank you, dad." Gajeel grinned and turned to leave.

"Gajeel. Is she-" Then it hit the older dragon.

"Yes." Gajeel interrupted, knowing what his father was going to ask.

When Gajeel returned to the living room, he saw Natsu having an arm around Levy's shoulders and all together laughing. He growled and dashed to them, grabbing Natsu from his scarf and shoving him away from Levy.

"How dare you touch her?" He shouted.

"Gajeel, put him down. He didn't do anything." Levy placed her hands on his arms. 'Why am I excusing myself?' She thought. As soon as Gajeel looked at her, he eased and placed Natsu on his feet. He heard a couple of girls gossiping him, but he decided to let go.

Natsu's father decided to break the silence by clapping his hands and standing. "So Gajeel, why don't you introduce us to your friend?"

"Yes, uncle. This is Levy. Levy this is my uncle, Igneel. Fire brain's dad." Gajeel explained, slightly not amused.

The two exchanged a handshake and a smile. "Uncle?" Levy turned to Gajeel.

"Yeah, my father, Igneel and Wendy's mother, Grandeeney, are siblings. They run this place along with Gildarts, Cana's father, and the master, Makarov."

"That's right. This place will one day be in the hands of these brats." Levy stiffened at the familiar voice. "I'm sorry for my behavior earlier. We must protect our family, this is why I'm wary of outsiders." Levy eased as he now was welcoming and kind.

"But she's not an outsider anymore, right Metalicana?" Igneel raised an eyebrow at his brother, implying something.

"Yeah, you're one of us now Levy."

"Yeah."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Levy!"

The rest of the members cheered for her and decided to throw a party, the reason for which was unknown. Levy also met Mira and Elfman, who happened to be the girl's siblings. They seemed so kind and guessed their little sister would be the same. She was also introduced to the blond guy from the bar, Laxus, who was Mira's husband and the master's grandson. During the party, Levy could feel a pair of eyes on her. She looked around only to see a rather gloomy woman staring at her.

"Hello." Levy simply said.

"Are you with Gajeel-kun?" The woman said.

"We're friends."

"If you hurt Gajeel-kun, you'll have to deal with Juvia." And with that she was gone.

"Don't worry about her. She's always like this." Cana placed her arm on Levy's shoulder.

"She seems to care a lot for Gajeel."

"Well, looks like someone's jealous." Cana teased.

"N-no, what are you talking about? I'm not, it's not like Gajeel and I-" Levy sweated hard.

"You don't have to worry. They're like siblings. She one of the few people Gajeel allows to get close."

"What are you telling to the Shrimp, drunk woman?" Gajeel loomed over Cana.

"Relax, she just got ambushed by Juvia." Cana caught levy's hand and dragged her with her.

"Let me have a little talk with that rain woman." Gajeel growled and headed upstairs.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	8. Just Fondness

**Hello everyone! Chapter 8 is kinda filler. Not much story in it, just Gajevy fluff.**

Gajeel walked through the hall, sniffing the air, trying to locate Juvia, who seemed to be on the roof.

"You didn't have to scare her, you know." He said.

"I'm just trying to keep Gajeel-kun safe."

"Tsk." Gajeel pouted and sat next to her.

"Does Gajeel-kun…like that girl?"

"I am…fond of her." He doesn't like talking about these things at all but it is different with Juvia. "I don't know what it is that I feel."

"You seemed rather possessive before. When you grabbed Natsu." She smiled.

"Yeah. The only thing that I could think at that moment was that she was mine. Mine, Mine, Mine. And I felt something burning inside me when I saw Salamander touch her." He clenched the fabric of his shirt right above his heart.

"That's good. I see you're finally happy."

"I'm never happy." He scoffed and stood. "Come on, rain woman. I left the Shrimp alone long enough with those idiots."

Gajeel helped Juvia stand and both went downstairs to the living room. As soon as Gajeel entered, he saw Levy sleeping on the couch, all curled up and a slight shade of pink on her cheeks.

"What did you do?" He asked Cana, somehow knowing it was her fault.

"Nothing. She had just one drink. How should I know she is a lightweight?" Cana explained.

"You just had to get the Shrimp drunk, huh?" He said as he picked her up in his arms, bridal style, and headed outside. She immediately nuzzled in his chest, clenching his shirt in her fist. Gajeel felt heat rising up on his face as he entered his dorm. It was a simple room with just a bed, a closet and a desk. Also a small bathroom.

"What will I do with you? I can't get you to your house like this." He laid her on his bed. He kneeled to remove her shoes, trying hard to undo the straps without snapping them or waking her up. After he got the second one off, his fingers lingered a bit at her ankles, sweating hard and keeping himself from going any further. He pulled the sheets to cover her and shifted her to her side. He stood there, above her, for a couple of seconds, studying her sleeping form and her steady breath.

Gajeel swallowed hard and leaned down, brushing her forehead with his fingertips, removing her head band. He lowered, slowly and slightly trembling. His mind went blank as he closed his eyes and pressed his lips on her forehead, heart beating fast. He pulled back, their faces very close, and saw the small smile that formed on her lips. He gave her hair a last gentle stroke and stood. He exited the room, closing the door slowly and returned to the party. He noticed Cana and Mira whispering at each other and he was sure they were gossiping about him.

* * *

The next dawn, Levy shifted on the bed as she woke up. She took a deep sniff from the pillow that she was hugging and smiled. She loved that smell, it was manly and attractive. It was _his_. Wait, his? She opened her eyes fast and sat up, examining the room. It was unfamiliar but she wasn't scared. She remembered that she was with Gajeel the night before and he couldn't have possibly left her alone. She put her shoes on, set her dress straight and wore her head band that was placed on the desk. A framed picture caught her eyes. She picked it up and smiled, since on it there was Gajeel holding a much younger Lily on his shoulders and their father, Metalicana, standing proudly next to them.

She exited what appeared to be Gajeel's room and found herself in the hall. She walked towards the living room and opened the doors. She found the familiar face she was hoping to see, sleeping peacefully on the couch. Gajeel was sleeping in one of the couches, his little brother in his arms, also asleep. She approached and pulled the sheets to cover them, because Gajeel had maybe kicked them away during the night. She sat next to them and reached her hand towards his face.

She held back at first but gathered her courage and traced the piercings that lined his eyebrows. Those shiny studs were her favorite characteristic of his appearance from the first day they met. Every time she touched the skin between each one, to reach the other, his face would twitch from the contact. He looked so handsome and 'cute' while he was sleeping. Her hand would block her sight of the rest of his face, so when she moved it to touch the other brow, she squeaked as she noticed Gajeel staring intensively at her.

"Enjoying yourself, Shrimp?" He smirked.

"N-no. How long have you been awake?" She pulled back.

"Since you entered the room. You're far too noisy for a dragon slayer like me."

"Sorry." She hanged her head.

He realized she felt bad for waking him up and he didn't even intent to do that. He just wanted to tease her. So, he pulled Lily on his chest and tapped the spot on the couch. "Wanna join us?" Another tease.

He raised both his brows when she obliged without a word. She pulled the sheet and got under it, nudging unbelievably close to his side. He raised his arm to make more room and closed it around her shoulders. As sleep got her, she unconsciously hugged him and laid her head on his side, using him as pillow. Gajeel was now happier than ever. The girl of his dreams was sleeping next to him. He moved his head and nuzzled his face in her hair, inhaling deeply the scent he so much loved.

Luckily for them, they once again woke up before everyone else did. Gajeel proposed he returned her home and she agreed. Also her brother would be there to see that she had returned home safe, not that he was afraid of him, he just wanted to make a good impression to the man of her family. He grunted at the thought, since Jet had become one of the hunters by killing the little Strauss girl. He quickly shook his head to get the thought off his brain. Luckily Levy spoke and helped him snap out of it.

"You and Lily look so adorable together."

"Yeah."

"He must love you very much. His o-nii-chan." She laughed.

"Lily is my adoptive brother. His parents died when he was five and then my old man took him in. Same happened to Happy and Carla. It was a bad year. Poor kiddos were only two years old when it happened."

"That's awful. They are very lucky to have you, though. Gajeel, what happened to your mother?" She was curious.

When she saw his eyes darken, she fell guilty. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"She died seventeen years ago, when I was three. She was very sick. I don't remember much about her. But I do remember my father at the time."

"Was he sick too?"

"In a way. Dragons find only one mate and spend their whole lives together. Their souls are entwined. When one of the life-partners dies or leaves, the other loses part of himself." He explained.

"Oh."

The rest of their walk was silent. Levy was thinking about everything that Gajeel had told her and him thinking what Levy must be feeling, now that she knows some of his past. Did she pity him now? Both stopped at the spot that the bridge started.

"We're here." He said.

"Thank you for walking me home. And for the party yesterday. I had a wonderful time." She smiled widely.

He thought to say goodbye to her but the thought stayed in his brain. Instead, he leaned forward and placed a deep loving kiss on her cheek. "Thanks for the date." He whispered in her ear, his breath sending shivers to her spine.

He turned and waved a "See ya Shrimp." Before jumping onto a roof and then to another.

She stood there. Trying hard to comprehend what just happened. With fast strides she entered her house and plopped on her bed. "What just happened?" She asked herself, covering her eyes with her palms. His out-of-the-ordinary gesture made her wonder if this was really Gajeel. It certainly wasn't like his usual attitude. Her Gajeel is a huge, foul mouthed brute with silky hair and shiny piercing and rippled chest that presses on his shirt…She screamed inwardly over her thoughts.

After she calmed down a little, she brushed the spot he kissed with her fingertips and remembered what she had just thought. _Her_ Gajeel. "Why does he make me feels like this? I slept on his bed yesterday night. And in the morning we napped in each other's arms. And then he kissed me. It was only on the cheek but…" She said to herself. Her heart was pounding fast, ready to escape her chest.

She decided to take a bath and change clothes before she headed to Lucy's house to get some advice about her situation from her best friend.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	9. Stay With Me - Always

**Have we reached chapter 9 already? Oh time passes fast. The real romance starts here... \0/**

Levy explained to Lucy what happened, with all the details, from the moment they separated after the show.

"So he likes you." Lucy simply said.

"W-what? How can you be so direct with it?" Levy stuttered.

"Come on, Levy-chan. He took care of you, he introduced you to his family, he let you sleep on his bed while he slept on the couch even though you joined him later and slept in his arms, he walked you to your house this morning AND he also kissed you. What else do you need?"

"Well, he was only being polite. He couldn't leave a guest sleep on the couch. And it was only a kiss on the cheek."

"Hmm, looks like someone's in denial. Levy, I saw you yesterday in the theater. You two would blush like crazy every time something romantic was going on in the show. And besides, it was your first date!" Lucy cheered.

"No, no. It wasn't a date. We were just a couple of friends-"

"Does he think the same?" Lucy interrupted.

Levy looked down and whispered a 'no', remembering what he told her after he kissed her.

"What I think, Levy-chan? He likes you, a lot, that one is clear. And I know that you like him too, even though you haven't told me. But he needs to know too. Make a step. Let him know that you're interested."

"But how? I've never done this before."

"Don't worry. I've read loads of romance books. First you need new clothes." Lucy caught Levy's hand and they headed for shopping. Levy was getting embarrassed from most of the clothes Lucy had picked for her, but she insisted she looked really cute in them.

After they finished shopping, they sat on a stand that sold ice-cream. While they were peacefully eating, someone appeared from behind Lucy and screamed Levy's name. Lucy got startled, dropping her ice cream on her skirt.

"Natsu!" Levy said.

"Hey there, Levy. How are you?" Natsu smiled.

"Umm, fine. But, Lu-chan…" Levy trailed off, seeing the furious expression on Lucy's face.

Lucy screamed, grabbing the empty bowl and threw it on Natsu's head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Natsu rubbed his forehead, where the cup had landed.

"Look at that! You spilled the ice cream all over me!" She shouted.

"Huh, sorry then."

"Levy-chan. I have to go home and change." Lucy said.

"Hey. Where do you live? I can get you there really fast." Natsu proposed as he wrapped his arms around Lucy and jumped on a roof, leaving Levy to watch them from below, confused.

"He, he. How do you like that Lu-chan?" Levy laughed as she caught a faint blush on her friend's cheeks. But she was still not sure if it was from anger or embarrassment.

Natsu landed right in front of her door and placed her on her feet. "Here we are."

"T-thank you." Lucy said shocked.

"I'm Natsu. Nice to meet ya!" Natsu reached for a handshake.

"Lucy." She accepted.

"Well, Lucy, see ya around!" He said as he disappeared into the roofs.

Lucy quickly ran into her house and entered the shower. There, she replayed in her mind what just happened and couldn't explain the loud beating of her heart.

* * *

Levy, now alone, walked around the city, enjoying the summer atmosphere. Without realizing it, she found herself in a kinda familiar neighborhood. She looked around, locating Fairy Tail. She paced closer and walked inside.

"Good evening Levy!" Mira cheered behind the bar.

"Mira-san! Hello."

"He is on the back. Just go through this door." Mira pointed at a door next to the bar.

Levy muttered a 'thank you' as she tried to hide the blush that quickly formed. She opened the wooden door, exiting the building to a garden that they appeared to be using as training grounds. In the middle, Gajeel and Lily were sword fighting. She was shocked that a ten year old was able to handle a sword double his size with such ease and skillfulness. Then her eyes landed on the studded man. He was shirtless and she was speechless. His muscles were rippling according to his movements and sweat drops would moisten the headband he had on his forehead.

"Levy!" Lily said and placed his sword in the sheath on his back before running and hugging Levy.

"Hello Lily. I see you're training with your brother."

"I am. And I am getting better every day."

"Look at what you did now, Shrimp. Just when I had calmed him down." Gajeel teased. His sword was now on his belt and a towel around his neck.

"Don't be so hard on him. How about you two have a break?"

"Yes!" Lily cheered.

"I'll get you two something to drink." Levy said and disappeared into the bar and coming back a few minutes later with three glasses of lemonade. They all sat down on the grass, sipping their drink.

"You look pretty skilled with that sword, Lily."

"Thank you. Brother taught me everything I know."

"Is that so?" Levy sent a cunning look to Gajeel who grunted. "I've never seen you in an armed combat before, Gajeel."

"And pray that you will never will. Sword fighting is only for extreme occasions. A couple of daggers are not big deal. Time out is over. Raise your sword, Lily." Gajeel gulped down the rest of his drink before standing and taking battle stance.

"Keep a safe distance, Levy." Lily said as he pulled his sword from his back.

The two started immediately, katanas swinging and clinging with each other. Gajeel's agility was stunning, but Lily was good as well.

* * *

From that moment on, Levy would visit Fairy Tail every day, to watch Gajeel train at first and then they would spend their day together. Their relationship also got better since they were now more comfortable with each other, even though Levy hadn't revealed yet that she liked him.

Jet had also been promoted and entered Erza's team and he was now working almost whole day and night.

A couple of weeks later, it was Lily's birthday. Gajeel and Metalicana had prepared a surprise party for him in the guild and Levy also helped. The boy seemed extremely happy that all his friends and family were there to celebrate with him. After the party had ended, quite early because the kids had to go to bed, Levy decided to head home.

Along the way she noticed someone following her. She didn't have her rifle with her, but only a small dagger that Gajeel had given to her. She knew how to protect herself against an animal, so she thought it would be the same with a human. A figure emerged from the shadows in front of her and she took a step back, pumping onto another man.

"Easy, we are just going to ask you some questions. If you cooperate, we won't hurt you." The man in front of her said. Levy only glared at him. "Where is the Fairy Tail guild?" He approached his face close to hers. "We have info that you've been there. Tell us the location and we will guarantee your safety."

"Go fuck yourself." Levy spat.

"Now that's not a way for a girl to talk." He grabbed her wrist, before she even had time to reach her knife, and twisted it behind her back, making her fall to her knees. "I told you, you won't get hurt if you helped us." He pulled his sword and placed it on her throat, ready to slice it. Then he heard bodies drop to the ground behind him. He turned, only to see a pair of glowing red eyes coming towards him.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance." The man from the shadows said and grabbed him, bringing him in the dark. Levy heard a faint gasp and then blood being spilled.

"Gajeel?" She managed to say. She knew it was him.

"It's me Shrimp. I'm here." He kneeled and placed her on his lap. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, my shoulder got twisted but I am okay. You came to my aid once again."

"I knew I had to come with you. You got me worrying sick, Shorty." He said softly and pulled her in his arms in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her head on his shoulder. She quickly pulled back, feeling something liquid dropping on her hand. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw her blood covered hand. She pulled his shirt up, making him turn, and looked for a wound.

"Gajeel, you're hurt!" She took her jacket off and wrapped it around his side, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I know and it hurts like hell. Those bastards managed to touch me." He grunted.

"We have to stitch it. Let's go to my house. I'll treat it for you." She helped him stand.

Along the way, his knees would fail him every now and then and he stumbled.

"You've lost a lot of blood. We have to hurry before you faint."

"I'm fine Shrimp. Just don't worry about me." He lost his balance once more and fell on his knees. She got his arm around her shoulders and helped him walk. When they reached her house, she laid him on her brother's mattress and searched for the med kit. She removed his jacket leaving him only with his black tank top.

"I'm getting really dizzy." He rubbed his eyes.

"Hang on. And don't faint. Just stay with me." She quickly found some disinfectant and some sutures.

He muttered an 'always' under his breath, which Levy heard clearly, but this wasn't a time for blushes. She started stitching the wound carefully.

"You seem to do this with ease." He commented.

"I've sewed myself and my brother a hundred times. Are you scarred?" She teased.

"Nah, I trust you completely." He looked at her right in the eye.

"Those guys asked me about the guild."

"I know. I'd like to find the bastard that leaks info to those hunters." He clenched his fists.

"There. Done." She cut the ends and placed a bandage on it.

"You're a saver, Shrimp. Thanks." He tried to sit up, but Levy pushed his shoulders, forcing him down.

"No! You need to replenish the blood you've lost." She ordered as she moved and sat next to him, leaning on the wall.

When he heard her sigh, he turned his head to her. "What's eating you?"

"I couldn't protect myself against them. I've even killed a bear with my bare hands and yet, I couldn't stop an unarmed man." She buried her face to her bent knees.

"He is trained for hand-to-hand and armed combat. Hell, if you throw him in the mountains, he wouldn't even be able to protect himself against a rabbit."

"I guess I'm not as strong as I thought." Her eyes filled with tears.

"You ARE strong Shrimp! You even carried a big lug like me across city. And you stitched me too. Other girls would have fainted ten times now. And you also kept the guild a secret. He threatened your life, Shorty, and you stood firm." He raised on his forearms and placed his hand on her cheek, drying the tears with his thumb.

"I just feel helpless." She leaned her head to his hand.

"Don't. I will be there to protect you. Just don't leave my side."

"Okay." She whispered as her face filled with a big smile.

"Now, don't get all depressed." He laid back down. "Would you feel better if I taught you how to fight?"

"Really? I'd love that."

"I'll make you big Shrimp. Gi hi."

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	10. Salty Kisses

**I'm so very sorry for not updating for two weeks but there was exam session and I was super busy. As an apology here is a chapter full of fluff and love. Also I deeply thank everone that favorited, followed and reviewed my story. Everytime it brings a smile on my face to see new people joining, and it motivates me to keep going.**

The next morning, Gajeel woke up first. He raised his left arm and rubbed the sleep off his eyes. He felt his right arm heavy and wondered if he hurt it yesterday as well. He turned his head but his vision got blocked by blue hair. Levy had _somehow_ , during the night, crept next to him in bed. She had almost climbed on him, her legs tangled with his and her head laying on his chest. He found a faint smile form on his face as he moved his arm to stroke her hair. He did and then his hand trailed to her cheek, which her caressed with the back of his fingers.

She looked so beautiful sleeping there next to him. He cupped her jaw with his hand and slowly brought her face closer to his. He placed a loving kiss on her forehead and then leaned his head on hers. He closed his eyes and sighed, hoping he is not still sleeping and dreaming all of this. Unfortunately for him, his eyes were shot open when he detected an additional scent into the house. He raised his head and saw her brother sitting on the floor across them. He had an angry look and his sword was lying next to him, still in its sheath.

The two men exchanged a glare, before they both turned their eyes to Levy, who shifted a little and nuzzled closer to Gajeel. Gajeel felt scarred, not for himself, but for Levy. What if her brother would challenge him for a battle then and there? What if Jet would kill Gajeel? Then there would be no one to protect her. And what if Gajeel killed Jet? He would break her heart and he couldn't even think about hurting her.

"How long have you been here?" Gajeel spoke first.

"A couple of hours. I was thinking what I can do to get you out of the way without hurting her."

"Believe it or not, I was thinking of the exact same thing." Gajeel replied.

"I know your senses are tingling now, desperately wanting to thrust your hand through my chest but…I regretted it. Everything that I've done. I killed that girl just to get a fucking job!"

"Did you talk to Bixlow?"

"No. I cannot face him. And no one trusts me in the team. I know that all of the scouting legion are with you people and that they try to destroy the palace from the inside, but they won't let me in. No matter how much I wanna pay for my depts."

"Some guards attacked her yesterday night. Asking for information."

"What? I didn't know. And you protected her with the cost of your own health." Jet's eyes shot to the band aid on Gajeel's side.

"I'd give my life for her. But that aside, there's a dragon spy, telling all our plans to the king. This is how they found Levy."

"I'll look into it. You, in the meantime, keep your eyes on her." Jet stood and approached the door.

"Only my eyes? I can't promise anything." Gajeel joked.

"Just don't push your luck." Jet glared but when he saw how comfortable and happy Levy looked in Gajeel's embrace he sighed. "Do you love her?"

"More than I ever loved anyone." Gajeel said with no hesitation and a determination he didn't know he had.

"Then I approve of you." And with that Jet left the house.

Gajeel stayed awake and thought what he had said. That he loved her. That he'd give his life for her. He knew that she was the one. And he loved her. Oh how much he loved her. He wanted to make a move. He wanted to lean down and capture those parted pink lips. But whether that would please her or freak her out he didn't know. So he decided to wait for a while longer. Maybe the others in the guild would think of him as a pansy for taking things so slow, but he'd be damned if anything mattered more than her to him anymore.

The salamander and his girlfriend, Bunny-girl, crossed his mind. Those two idiots were only together for less than a week and they had already gotten intimate with each other. But Gajeel wanted to wait until his Shrimp would be ready.

After a couple of minutes, she slowly woke up, gripping his shirt into her fist. She moved a little up and nuzzled her face to his neck, inhaling deeply. He blushed deep red, realizing maybe she didn't know where she was.

"Morning Gajeel." She muttered in his neck and he gulped. "How did you sleep? Does your wound hurt?"

"I-no it's healed I guess." He stuttered.

"Mm, I'm glad. You dragons heal really fast, huh?" She placed her head on his chest once again and opened her eyes.

He thought that she might play tease with him but two could play that game. "And how did my Shrimp sleep?"

"Good. I haven't slept so peacefully in a long time." She blushed.

"Gi hi. It was because you crawled on me and I could protect you even in your dreams." He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. "How about we get up and start that training of yours?"

"No! Just let me cuddle with you for a while more." She moved her arms around his neck and closed her eyes.

Gajeel was speechless. He wasn't sure what had just happened and why was she acting so lovey dovey all of a sudden. The girl that would blush with the smallest tease, was now so bold that their roles had reversed. He reached the conclusion that she was still drowsy from sleep.

Levy, on the other hand, was cheering in her mind for achieving the goal of leaving him speechless. She had finally gathered the courage to follow Lucy's advice and show him that she likes him. She would, of course, get embarrassed from her behavior but she didn't really care since it was working.

* * *

About an hour later they got ready for training. They were standing opposite to each other on a small opening behind her house.

"First we're going to practice hand-to-hand combat and then armed. Being small like that is easy to slip through a big guy like me. Use your size to your advantage." Gajeel started showing her different stances and ways to dodge and attack your opponent. After that, he found two sticks to use as swords and showed her a couple of things about it too. When Levy got bored, she decided to get something funny out of all this.

When they were sword fighting, she found an opening to get close to him and placed a kiss on his jaw and quickly pulled away. He grinned and let go of the stick and ran towards her, playfully chasing her. She yelped and started running away from him while laughing. And he was laughing too. He occasionally was catching her from her waist but she would quickly slip away from his grip and continue running. When he had enough of her teasing him like this, he wrapped his arms around her thighs and picked her up, bringing her neck at the level of his face.

Levy laughed and hugged his head, burying her fingers in his hair. He closed his eyes and touched his nose to her neck, also laughing. Then, she pressed her lips on his sweaty forehead and pulled back puckering her face at the taste.

Without thinking much he raised his head and placed trapped her bottom lip in his, trailing it with his tongue. "Mmm, salty." He grinned, licking his lips now. But the grin disappeared and a concerned look took its place. She seemed frightened. He quickly let her on her feet and took a step back.

"I'm sorry Levy. I don't know what got into me. I think it is time for me to go." He picked his jacket, which was hanged on a tree and walked towards the bridge. The only words that kept replaying in his mind were _'I lost her!'_

"Gajeel!" She shouted and he turned quickly. He saw her standing there, with her hand on her lip that he had kissed. "Was….was that supposed to be our first kiss?" Her eyes locked with his.

' _Shit!'_ Gajeel paced back to her and cupped her jaw, rubbing away her tears with his thumb. "Levy…" He only said with a husky voice and leaned forward, his eyes locked on her lips. She placed her own hands on his and raised to her tiptoes, closing her eyes in the process. When they finally reached each other and their lips brushed, Levy smiled into the kiss, encouraging Gajeel to continue. He pressed harder against her, a sigh of relief escaping from their noses, as their lips moved softly but passionately. Slowly he pulled back and looked at her flushed face, which he knew was only because of him. The two smiled and she wrapped her arms around his torso and he, in turn, placed his on her back.

"How's that for a first kiss?" He smirked, not really waiting for any answer.

"One that I'll hardly ever forget."

"That's my girl." He laughed and pulled her to him one more time.

She nuzzled in his neck for a bit and then pulled back, placing her forehead against his. They were now starring in each other's eyes. Red meeting brown. A couple of tears escaped her eyes while she smiled. One last drop fell from her eye and he placed his lips on the spot, kissing her tear away. She in return, placed both her palms on his jaw and gave a big kiss on his lips.

"Just take things slow, okay?" She said, pulling back.

"Anything for you, my Shrimp." He smirked.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	11. My Mate

**Here is another chapter bros, but WARNING it contains smut. I had written it many months ago, before I had decided to not write any more kinky stuff, and I'm not sure if it is good enough or not. But I had it ready so here you have it.**

From that moment on, they spent much more time together. Their visits to each other's houses became very frequent, but they would most of the times crash in her place, since Jet was working during the night. Kisses where limited, as both were still embarrassed to take the initiative. They would usually cuddle under a sheet and read a horror novel together. Or they would talk about their childhood. Or even gossip their friends.

"Ahh!" Levy screamed in her sleep, making Gajeel, who was sleeping next to her, wake up with a start.

"Levs! Wake up!" Gajeel nudged her, and she shot her eyes open, sitting up on the sleeping mat.

"Gajeel. I saw a bad dream." She buried her face to his chest, sobbing.

"Calm down. I'm here. I'll protect you." He patted her back.

"Please do. And never leave me."

"How could I leave you? I'd lose myself if you went away." He whispered, tightening his hold around her.

Then, she remembered what he told her and what she had read about dragon mating.

"Gajeel?" She muttered, after a while that she calmed down.

"Hmm?"

"Am I…your…" She trailed off.

"Don't go there Shrimp. We said we would take things slow." His voice soothing to her ears.

"We've been going slowly for months. I have to know." She pulled back and looked right into his eyes. "Do you…like me?"

He laughed. And her eyes filled with tears. "For a smart bookworm, you sure are ignorant."

"What does that supposed to mean?" She puffed her cheeks.

"Had you ever any doubt? Would I have saved you all these times if I didn't like you? Would I reveal to you my real nature if I didn't like you? Would we sleep in each other's arms every night if I didn't like you? Hell, I can barely keep my hands to myself and not grab you and kiss you till you see stars."

"Do you mean all this? You really like me? But…I feel that I hold you back. That you would be happier with someone else. Someone bigger and stronger, someone who wouldn't be afraid to move on, someone-" She was interrupted by him placing his hands on her cheeks and forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I don't care about anyone else. The only woman I can see is you. It's like the world around me disappears and I only have you in front of me. The most beautiful and perfect Shrimp." He said and pulled her to him, kissing her fully on the lips. She didn't move at first, but then she obliged and buried her hands into his hair, pulling him closer. He touched her lips with his tongue and she slowly parted them. Gajeel growled when his tongue entered her mouth and explored the places of her he had had yet to meet. When he was almost out of breath he pulled back and placed his forehead on hers. "And I chose you." He said softly.

She laughed in happiness and crashed her lips on his, continuing their make out session.

"Levy." He said between kisses, after he felt things get more intense. "Levy, I need to hear it from you."

"I love you." She broke the kiss and placed her head next to his, whispering to his ear as her hands were roaming on his back.

"Tell me…." He let out a breath he was holding. "Tell me I can have you. Tell me I can make you mine." He wrapped his arms around her back, holding her tightly in place.

"Yes." Levy whispered.

"I want you to say it. Say that you're ready. If not, we'll wait."

"I want you. I need you, Gajeel. Make me your life mate." She said.

And with that he pushed her down on the mattress and kissed her. He noticed she tried to unbutton his shirt and he helped by removing it, revealing his muscled chest. He fingers trailed his pecs and then his abs, enjoying the sensation of his hard muscles. His lips left her mouth and placed kisses on her jaw and her neck, making her moan as she buried her hands in his hair. He sucked and bit her soft neck, leaving red marks in his passing. She arched her back when his hand got under her shirt and traced her stomach with the tips of his fingers.

"Can I?" He muttered.

Instead of answering with words, she caught his hand and guided it higher, at the base of her breasts. Then he took her shirt off of her and tried to undo her breast band. With a smile, she reached her hand back and unhooked it with ease. Slowly, he untangled it from around her and let gravity do its work. Her perky breasts were now visible and he could not help but stare at them. Levy felt uncomfortable for a moment and she thought that he didn't like them because they were so small so she threw her arms and covered her chest.

Smiling at her, he placed his hands on her forearms and prompted her to remove them. "Beautiful." And with that, he kissed her lips and then trailed kisses down once again, but now he reached her chest. He took each peak in his fingers and played with them making her moan and arch her back. Gajeel raised his eyes to look at her flushed expression and got one of her mounds in his mouth. He rolled his tongue around each and then moved to her other one.

The pleasure was too much and she felt something hurting between her legs. She grinded them together, trying to ease some of the heat and moved her hand down to his belt. She unbuckled it, until Gajeel's hand shot and stopped her. "Not yet, Shorty." He muttered returning to his kissing.

"I can't wait anymore, Gajeel." She pouted.

"Then let me help you." He left her breasts and moved his face lower, kissing her stomach until he reached her shorts. He unbuttoned them and pulled them down, leaving his blue haired girl in only her panties. She closed her eyes on embarrassment when he rubbed her private parts with his fingers through her underwear. But her body had other plans. Her nether lips were pulsing for him and the fabric between them and his fingers was already soaking wet.

When he saw that she was enjoying it, he passed his fingers through the sides of her panties and lowered them slowly. She raised her hips to help him, something that made him even harder. He felt his member pushing against his pants, but he didn't want to do that just yet. He wanted to please her first and make her feel good. He only unbuttoned his pants, giving it a little space.

After he threw her underwear to the pile of their clothes, he lowered and placed his lips on her inner thigh. He continued kissing around her area, no matter how much she was whimpering, wanting a specific place of hers to be touched.

"N-no more teasing." She stuttered, rocking her hips around so that his tongue would actually set on the place she wanted most.

"Gi hee. Plead for it." He said boldly and immediately regretted it. Who knew if she felt extremely embarrassed by his words and decided to stop then and there? Instead she scrunched her face and blushed, as if she was pressuring herself to say something but held it in. Not for long.

"Eat me out!" She shouted and Gajeel wasted no more time. He latched his lips on her nether ones and sucked her juices. The pad of his thumb found her clit and swirled it around, while his tongue entered her. She was moaning softly, enjoying the pleasurable feeling he was giving her. He raised his eyes to look at her and their gazes met. He reached his free hand for her to hold, and she did, as her orgasm was coming near. He wanted to connect with her during her first time, and the hand holding was showing that; even in a moment only the two would share. She raised her hips and reached her high, letting out a scream and then laying down on her back.

He climbed back up with kisses and landed the last one on her mouth. Her limps felt sore but nevertheless she cupped the bulge of his pants. He, not being able to wait any more, stood and removed them and his underwear, his throbbing member standing up. She crawled on the mattress and wrapped her fingers around the base, before Gajeel could lie down again. He stood at ease to keep better balance, as her small hand pumped him with a steady pace.

"Show me what to do." She said shyly as she looked up at him.

His hand left his hip and covered her hand. "Like this." He slowly pumped at first and then a little faster. She bit her lips, feeling aroused and sexy by the way he was touching himself through her. After she had gained enough confidence, he released her and placed his hand back on his hip. Levy watched as he threw his head back and growled and thought she could do more for him. The next moment, she had engulfed the head of his erection in her mouth and twisted her tongue around it.

"Levy…fuck!" His hips bucked forward and his muscles tensed. As her head bobbed to him, he placed his one hand on her hair, assisting the motion. "Levy…I'm close." He tried to get away but her hands grasped him and clawed his waist. He didn't need more than that. He shot his load in her mouth and she swallowed every drop. He collapsed on the mattress, taking her with him.

"Did I do it right?" She asked.

"Oh fuck yes." He panted.

"I'm glad." She relaxed but he had other plans. In a second he was above her kissing her neck. "Gajeel…" She moaned.

"Did you really think it was over? We're not even half way into the _mating_ session." He smirked and lined his shaft with her slit. He placed her hands around his torso and kissed her once more. "Feels free to claw my back as much as you need. This is going to sting a little."

"I trust you. Take me."

Gajeel slowly pushed inside, stretching her and breaking her virginal barrier. Her nails, pinned on his back, along with her screams felt exhilarating.

"Please move." She pleaded when she was finally ready. He rocked his hips back and forth slowly, converting the pain into pleasure. He was big for her, but she was already fully stretched and dripping wet, which allowed him to move freely.

Soon, they were going hard at it and their releases were coming close.

"This is it, Levy. After this there will be no coming back. You will be mine forever." He warned looking down at her, droplets of sweat hanging from the tip of his nose.

"Who said I want to go back. Make you yours."

"Levyyyyyyyy!"

"Gajeeeeeeeel!"

Levy's inner walls clenched around Gajeel's manhood, which twitched as it emptied its load inside her. Gajeel landed on top of her, his head next to hers. But then, he moved his face close to her collarbone, her thinking he was about to kiss her. But instead of his soft lips, Levy felt four sharp canines nip her flesh.

"Gajeel?"

"Levy, I have to mark you. To show to the other men and dragons that you're taken."

"Okay." she smiled proudly and prepared mentally for the teeth to break her skin.

She felt excited all over again. The moment they sank, she felt like she could sense Gajeel into her soul, like they were connected now. He licked the drops of blood that fell from the wound and then pulled back to admire his personal mark.

"I didn't hurt you much, did I?" He asked, searching her eyes for any hint of regret or pain. But he could only see love. She pulled him close and captured his lips into a searing kiss, before she yawned, reminding the two that they had actually woken up in the middle of the night. They laughed, as Gajeel pulled the blanket to cover their naked bodies and pulled her as close to his chest as possible, sleep taking them both soon.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	12. The Truce

Levy stirred as she began to wake up. Bright sun rays, coming through the window, blinding her. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms and legs. She felt so relaxed and had a good feeling. Memories from last night came to her mind and smiled as she covered herself with the blanket to hide her blush. But, despite the large comforter, she felt chilly, as if the spot next to her was empty.

"Gajeel?" She called as she sat up and looked around. She worried for a bit but heavy steps from the outside, stepping on dry leaves and sticks, brought a smile to her face.

The large man opened the small curtain that was used as a door and entered. "Oh you woke up, Shrimp?"

"Sorry. I usually wake up before you." She tried to have some decency and cover her naked body with the blanket. He, in turn, sat on the mattress, just next to where her legs were crossed.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything. Besides, you needed some more rest after last night." He smirked and winked at her and she turned her head the other way, flushed. "I brought you breakfast. Some croissants and fresh milk." He placed the bag and bottle next to her.

"You're so nice." She leaned forward and hugged him.

"Gi hee." He cupped her cheek and kissed her.

"How about we go for a walk after breakfast?" She stood, letting down the blanket, leaving her completely bare before his eyes, and walked to the small ladder to go upstairs and grab some clothes. Gajeel's eyes shot open and quickly dashed and caged her between the wall and his body.

"You don't do those things in front of me, Shorty. We might have a little accident." He trapped her hands in his next to her head, growled and started kissing her neck.

"G-Gajeel, not now. M-my brother will be home s-soon." She moaned.

Gajeel stopped and turned his back. "Damn him, cockblocking me without even being here." Gajeel cursed. Luckily for both of them, Levy was already fully dressed and Gajeel had fixed the sleeping mat before Jet stepped in.

"Morning guys." He yawned and plopped on the recently made mattress.

Gajeel and Levy exchanged a look of relief. He caught her hand and the two ran outside, giggling like toddlers. As soon as they reached a safe distance, they burst out laughing.

"Now I'm glad that you didn't let me have you then. He would have caught us red handed."

"A hint for you to listen to me more often." She teased and poked his chest.

"What? I do listen to you….sometimes." He folded his arms and pouted. "Hey, Shrimp, where do you think you're going?" Gajeel ran after her, after he realized she had already walked much further, ignoring his childish behavior, but also letting him enjoy her back side, which she wiggled in purpose.

* * *

On the Scouting Legion headquarters.

"This is what needs to be done." Erza said. "We have to trust them."

"How can we? We've been mortal enemies for years. The second we step close, they'll have our heads." Gray tried to put some sense into Erza.

"I'm the one they're after. You're clean. Perhaps Bixlow could go first." Jellal proposed as he leaned on a wall, his arms folded in front of his chest.

"No way. If you decide to go, then I'll come with you. But I won't be the one to do the talking. I think the captain should speak. And you, lieutenant, should stay away. Even one is enough to turn them crazy and you have four on your head. No one will be able to save you from their rampage." Bixlow explained. Having lived the dragons, he knew a couple of things better.

"So the four of us will go?" Evergreen stood and fixed her glasses on her nose. "So, Bixlow, show us the way."

"No way again. They trusted me with their location. And I'm not gonna betray their trust again." Bixlow hid his face to hide his grief.

"Don't worry. We're not gonna put your friendships on the line." Erza tapped Bixlow's shoulder. "We'll find another way."

"I can go alone. Speak with one of them and maybe persuade him into letting you guys speak." Bixlow picked his coat and walked to the door.

* * *

A little later he reached the bar and entered. Laxus was behind the counter, fixing some paper towels.

"You're up early." Bixlow sat on one of the stools.

"Mira was a little tired so I took her shift."

"Let me guess. Your son keeps her up all night?"

"He keeps us both up. I cannot let Mira take it all on her shoulders." Laxus grabbed a cloth and started wiping the counter. "But something tells me you're not here to ask about the baby. Tell me." He leaned on the wooden surface and looked him in the eye.

"A truce. Between the two fields. We need your help. One of us has discovered the plans of the king."

"You know I'm your friend. But the others. My kind doesn't trust yours and vice versa."

"This will benefit both sides. You already know the scouting legion is on your side."

"I'll talk to the big guys." Laxus nodded.

"Thank you." They shook hands and Bixlow turned to leave. "And by the way, I didn't tell the rest of my team about you all."

"I know."

Bixlow reached to grab the knob, but he heard another door open behind him.

"Bixlow? I knew I heard your voice." Mira ran to him and hugged him.

"Hey Mira. You look good. How's Laxus junior?" He smiled at her.

"Noisy, but he's amazing. Will you stay for lunch? Elfman would be happy to see you." Mira proposed.

"Nah, I don't want to be a bother." Bixlow said.

At that moment Gajeel and Levy, barged in through the door, laughing and teasing each other, but they stopped as soon as they saw that they were not alone. Laxus and Mira looked at each other and giggled. When Gajeel's eyes fell on Bixlow, his face turned serious and he stood protectively in front of Levy.

"Gajeel, easy. I'm not gonna hurt anyone." Bixlow raised his arms in peace. Then he looked over to the girl behind him. "Oh I see. Hi, I'm Bixlow. Member of the Scouting Legion. And a really good friend of Laxus and the rest of the guys."

"Hello, I'm Levy. It's nice to meet you." Levy walked around from behind Gajeel and shook the man's hand.

"So, Laxus, set a date." Bixlow said and left.

As soon as he left, Gajeel turned to Laxus. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I thought you liked Bixlow. Hey Levy." He answered to Gajeel before waving at Levy.

"But, how can you be sure he won't betray us to the rest of his team?"

"He won't." Mira said.

"He is not one of us. I'm not so sure about him."

"Gajeel, you say he's not one of us, while you have a similar situation next to you." Laxus pointed at Levy with the glass he was holding. "How do you know she won't betray us to her brother? She's not part of our family either. No offense Levy."

"None taken." Levy did not for a moment think that she was unwanted here. She knew that Laxus was trying to convince Gajeel about the matter and used her as an example.

"First, her brother knows about us and I assure you he is on our side. And secondly, Levy _is_ one of us now." Gajeel said that, a tint of pink appearing on his cheeks. Laxus and Mira widened their eyes and hang their jaws wide open, while turning to Levy and noticing the bite mark on her shoulder. "Don't look at us like that." Gajeel grunted.

"You didn't…" Laxus nodded his head negatively.

"I did." Gajeel glared.

"You dumb dragon! Couldn't you keep it in your pants?" Laxus jumped from behind the counter and landed right in front of Gajeel, twisting his shirt into his fist.

Mira hugged Levy, who seemed terrified. "Guys, stop!" She shouted.

"Are you crazy? Did you really think that I would mate with a random girl that I bumped onto in the street? She is my chosen mate!" Gajeel growled, fiercely looking into Laxus's eyes.

Hearing Gajeel's words, he pulled back and sighed. "It is very rare for a dragon to choose a human as a mate. You know that. I didn't think that was the case with you."

"Well, in this situation, you must be the dumb one, Laxus. You may be the only one in here that hadn't figured it out." Mira laughed and wrapped her arms around the husband's bicep. "Besides, she smells just like him."

Levy gulped and Gajeel smirked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. The three of them laughed at Laxus for a while until a voice from upstairs interrupted them.

"WHY THE HELL DO I SMELL TWO METAL HEADS IN HERE?"

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	13. Zeref Awakens

**And here we got chapter 13. Only a few chapters remaining but I have to edit some things in them, since it's been a long time since I'm written them. I'll try not to take very long though and keep you waiting!**

 **Keep dropping some reviews and favorites. Your support really keeps me going. Thank all of you who stick to this story and I hope you're going to like this and the next chapters as much as you liked the previous ones.**

Laxus, after a couple of hours of explaining, finally persuaded his grandfather and master of Fairy Tail, to meet with the scouting legion to discuss a truce that, as they said, would benefit them both. They decided to meet outside town, inside a clearing in the forest, so that if there were any complications, the townspeople would be safe.

The master stood in front of Igneel, Metalicana and Gildarts and at the other side, facing them, were Erza along with Gray, Evergreen and Bixlow.

"I will not waste any time in glaring and I'll go right to the matter. King Hades is planning on doing something unthinkable for the citizens of this world. You definitely know the first hunter, Zeref." Erza said.

"Zeref?! What does he have to do with anything?" Igneel stepped forward.

"Our first master, the first dragon slayer, child of a real dragon, Mavis, sealed away the dark hunter centuries ago." Makarov opened his palm, gesturing for Igneel to wait.

"He is planning to revive him. He believes Zeref will be able to vanish your kind from existence." Gray commented.

"There are things you people don't know. Your 'king' never told the whole story. How Zeref was imprisoned into that lacrima, under the palace." Metalicana explained, leaning to a tree and having his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"How do you know about that?" Erza's eyes widened.

"Our first master sealed him in there with the cost of her own life. That day, 400 years ago, two lacrimas were discovered, one with the body of a man inside it and one with a woman's. After that, those were hidden by each's followers and descendants." Makarov continued, clearly trusting the four hunters with those secrets.

"You have figured out that we are also against our king's plans. We are on your side." Erza said and reached her hand for a handshake. "A collaboration?"

"A deal." Makarov shook hand with the captain. "We also know now that there is a traitor from our side, who gives information to the King about us. We sent one of our best spies to discover him and he returned successfully." Makarov said and sent a glance back at Metalicana, who smirked proudly.

"We have put him out of our plans for the moment, since he spends most of his time in the palace, but we don't know what exactly he has revealed to the king. That guy was always bad news, no offence master." Gildarts finally spoke.

"Don't you worry. Come forth kids." Makarov said and the four hunters looked at him, confused. Then, dragon slayers jumped down from the surrounding trees and stood behind their four oldest members.

"Erza, they were here all along and we had no idea. These guys are good." Evergreen whispered to Erza.

"Hey guys!" Natsu waved and smiled at them. "Seems like we'll be working together for a while."

"Shut up Salamander!" Gajeel hit him on the head.

"Do you have a problem, metal head? I could fight you right here and now!" Natsu stood up and showed his fist to Gajeel.

"Igneel, Metalicana, please. Calm down your sons." Gildarts facepalmed himself. The two older dragon slayers grabbed each boy from the back of their collar and separated them.

"These guys are crazy." Gray hummed, imagining himself sparring with the two.

"Now, we have already formed a plan for our intrusion into the castle. You will form teams of two, one dragon one hunter, so that both sides will be sure. We have assigned these four dragons to follow you inside." Four dragons stepped forward. "Pick a partner and we'll start immediately."

* * *

Four teams were formed. Wendy with Erza, Elfman with Evergreen, Juvia with Gray and Gajeel with Bixlow. They gathered altogether, behind the castle, where there was a secret door that led to the dungeons.

"Okay, our priority target is the king. No killing. We will capture him only." Erza explained to them.

"Tsk. Are we going to get in already? The patrols will soon reach this side." Gajeel said as he lifted the lid that lead to some stairs and stepped forward but Erza stopped him and went first.

When they reached the dungeons, the four teams split and went on diferent directions.

Bixlow and Gajeel headed straight to the throne room where they found King Hades sitting on his large chair.

"We found him." Gajeel whispered.

"Contact the others. Let's not underestimate him. We will need backup to capture him. That was the plan." Bixlow said.

"Alright. But where is the traitor?" Gajeel tried to poke his head through the half open door, trying not to be discovered.

"I'm right here, Gajeel-chan." The two heard a voice and turned. Their faces scrunched in anger at the sight of their comrades being held captive by some guards, standing behind the traitor.

"You damn traitor! You acted against your own kind!" Gajeel spat.

"Ha! You are all pathetic! Now why didn't my father send my son with you? I always had high hopes for that boy."

"He was never like you!" Gajeel grunted. His eyes moved to Erza and Elfman, who were still standing but wounded. And then to Evergreen and Wendy, who were unconscious, their bodies covered with bruises.

"Now, Gajeel-chan, would you like to see the head of your precious little cousin to separate from her body?" He patted Wendy's blue hair with his hand.

"Lay your hands off of her!" Gajeel launched himself at the man but quickly stopped when he placed a knife to her neck.

"Be good now. Take them away." The man ordered and the guards lead their prisoners back to the dungeons, this time locking them all into a cell.

Gajeel stood quickly and got to Wendy's side, placing her on his lap. "Wake up, kiddo." He said, removing a couple of hair strands from her face.

"We need to find a way to inform the others. Gray is still out there, I hope." Erza held the iron bars tight.

"Let me try. So shut your traps!" Gajeel crossed his legs and inhaled and exhaled deeply.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gray and Juvia were still searching around the palace.

"This place is awfully quiet." Gray whispered.

Juvia just walked behind him, her usual blank expression on her face.

" _Rain woman!"_

"Gajeel-kun?" Juvia looked around.

"What is it?" Gray turned to her.

"I think Gajeel-kun is trying to tell me something." Gray raised his eyebrows. "It is a dragon thing." She explained.

" _Go! It's Ivan!"_

"There's something wrong. He's telling us to leave."

"Maybe they got ambushed or something." Gray pulled his sword from its sheath.

At that moment, the traitor dragon slayer appeared from a corner with maybe ten soldiers following him. "Get them!" he shouted.

"Shit! We gotta go!" Gray said to Juvia.

"Juvia is not leaving the others behind." Juvia took battle stances.

"Damn it, woman!" Gray caught her hand and started running to the opposite direction. Juvia blushed at his gesture and felt her heart beating faster.

"G-Gray-sama. What about Gajeel-kun?" She stuttered.

"We may be the only two that are left. We have to go back and return with reinforcements." Gray said and Juvia nodded.

After they got out and ran a safe distance far from the castle, they sat under a tree to catch their breath. Juvia was standing and looking towards their previous location.

"You care about him, huh?" Gray asked as he rested his head back on the bark.

"Who?" Juvia turned.

"This _Gajeel_. Is he your boyfriend or something?"

"N-no! Gajeel-kun and Juvia were best friends since they were kids. It's not what Gray-sama thinks." Juvia blushed a deep shade of red. _'Is he jealous?'_ She thought.

"Okay then." Gray smiled and stood, showing an obvious satisfaction from her answer.

The two continued their way back to Fairy Tail.

* * *

"We managed to capture most of them, your majesty. Two got away. But I wouldn't worry about them." Ivan entered the underground chamber, where the lacrima of the hunters was located.

"Then it is time." King Hades said, as he looked up at the body of the first hunter.

"You mean…Zeref will finally be reborn?"

"Yes, now come. Place your hand here." The king instructed as he placed his own hand on the inscription on the lacrima. As soon as he did, the letters lit up and so did the whole crystal. Hades felt an unusual power flow through him and tried to remove his hand but it was impossible.

"What is happening, my king?" He shouted, fear obvious in his voice.

"This is what needs to be done to revive Zeref. A friend and an enemy. A hunter and a dragon." Hades let out a devilish laugh.

"You bastard! You tricked me!" He screamed as he saw his hand disassembling.

"Sacrifices are necessary, my dear dragon! And I didn't push you into anything. You betrayed your own kind and came to me."

Neither of them were able to say any more as their flesh ripped from their bones and their remainders shattered on the ground. From the lacrima, fell a young man with black hair. He fell on all fours, as his legs were too weak from all the centuries that he had been frozen. He looked at his hands and let out a silent laugh.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	14. Mavis Awakens

The two stopped in front if the Fairy Tail door and looked at each other. Juvia's gaze traveled to their joined hands and tightened her grip. "Gray-sama, whatever happens, stay behind Juvia."

He only nodded, noticing the determination and the worrying in her eyes.

They both got in and headed to the main hall, where everyone were gathered. When Master saw only the two, he closed his eyes and sighed. "It didn't go as planned." He said with a gruff voice.

"Master, Juvia and Gray-sama did whatever they could. The others were ambushed and imprisoned. But we learned that Ivan was indeed a traitor." Juvia explained, never letting her partner's hand.

"Where is my son?" Metalicana asked, sitting on a far corner, one leg upon the other and his arms crossed.

"Gajeel-kun was the one that warned Juvia and told her to come to you."

"Will Gajeel be okay?" Levy whispered to the silver haired man and he smirked.

"He is tough. He won't go down so easily." He reassured the worried girl.

Igneel finally stood and cracked his fingers. "So, are we going?" He asked and everyone turned silent. He noticed the confused glares that were shot at him and decided to speak. "What? Aren't we going to save them?"

"We must not be rational. If we leave without a plan, we will fall into the same trap trap." His brother said.

Suddenly, the building shook, like there was an earthquake. Everyone held onto a table or each other to keep their balance, some failing and falling on the ground.

"What happened?" Natsu said as he held little Happy into his arms.

Master's eyes widened. "It is done." He said with a frightened voice. Unlike every other member of Fairy Tail, he knew already all too well the reason of the earthquake and the sudden dark aura that he felt filling the air. Then, a light ball flew through the room, leaving a sparkling light behind it, like a tail. It finally stopped in the front of the room and a young woman with long blonde hair emerged from it.

"First master?" Makarov spoke, recognizing her.

"I see I am freed." She looked at her hands, being able to move them after 400 years of being frozen.

"How?" Igneel said.

"It was them! The king and that traitor!" Laxus shouted, anger filling him for the actions of his own father.

"The descendants of Zeref." The first master said while she looked around at all the dragons.

"Levy, whatever you see or hear, don't freak out." Metalicana said to the young girl, who raised her eyebrows in question. Why would she freak out?

"Master Mavis! What will happen now? The dark hunter is back and he will not be tricked by your magic this time." Laxus said.

"Don't worry dear friends. For we will get through this if we work together. When we were young, I knew Zeref was dangerous, so I took safety measures against him. I believe it is time for you to learn the whole story about how everything started, 400 years ago."

* * *

 _Flashback._

" _Mavis!" A black haired boy shouted through the woods. "Come on, it's not funny anymore!" He walked cautiously around in search of his friend. It was getting dark and he had started to get scarred. He was only ten years old._

 _Suddenly, someone crashed on him and the two rolled over a small downhill. When they reached the roots of it, the other person had landed on top of the boy. "Did I scare you?" A giggle was heard and the boy slowly opened his eyes._

" _Mavis! Of course you did! What were you thinking?" He pushed her off of him and stood, removing the leaves off his clothes._

" _Zeref, come on, it was fun." The girl said._

" _Anyway, I have to head home. It's late and my mom will be looking for me. See you tomorrow?" He asked with a smile._

" _Yeah." She smiled and the two ten year olds separated._

 _Ten years later._

 _The young woman ran barefoot through the village to reach a certain house she knew all too well and knocked the wooden door._

" _Oh Mavis! You're just in time. Come in." The young man said and opened the door fully for her. He led the two into the living room, where he showed her two shiny pieces of iron, resting on the table. "See? My dad bought me a sword and a full body armor. I can finally be a soldier." He seemed excited and it was obvious due to the wide smile on his face._

" _Wow, they're so shiny. So, you're going to become one of the guards?" The girl remembered the man's desire of becoming a soldier._

" _No. With these, I can finally go out there and make history. I will hunt down all those ferocious beasts and be declared a master hunter." He said proudly._

" _Zeref, what beasts?" The girl asked, furrowing her brows._

" _Don't you know? The last couple of years, dragon hunting has become pretty famous and profitable. People all around the world search for them for their skin and meat. But also the glory of killing a huge dragon."_

 _Mavis froze. "W-what? Dragon hunting? As if, killing the dragons?" She asked, frightened._

" _Yeah."_

 _Her eyes filled with tears and she ran outside, towards the woods, without saying any other words to her friend._

" _Mavis wait!" He shouted in vein. He let it slide, not being sure why she was so flustered about, so instead he wore his armor, got his sword on his belt and headed to the mountains._

 _There he searched and searched and searched for days to find the dragon, which rumors said was living there with her youngling. It was a tiring climbing but soon he found a cave that was different from the others. There he located the huge dragon, which he fought for hours, before he was finally able to give the finishing blow. The huge female dragon hit the rocky ground of the cave and the whole mountain shook. He had done it. He killed his first dragon, but, little did he know, he had just made the greatest mistake of his life. As he held his blood dripping sword, he noticed a figure standing on the entrance of the cave._

" _Mavis?" He said, shocked._

" _Zeref, what did you do?" Tears fell on her cheeks as she slowly walked close to the dead animal._

" _How did you get here? Why are you here?" So many questions were in his head._

" _Mother?" The girl kneeled and flexed her arm to touch the previously warm scales, which now were cold as ice._

" _What? You-? That dragon was-? You were this dragon's youngling?" He was now regretting every one of his actions. He dropped his sword and fell on his knees._

" _Why?" She sobbed. "Why did you kill my mother, Zeref? Why did you think of her as a beast? She was my mother and I loved her!" She shouted at him._

" _Mavis, I'm sorry. I didn't know, but how is it possible for them to have human kids?"_

" _It is! I am one of them. Why did you do this to me?"_

" _Mavis, I would never do something to hurt you. I-I love you." He confessed._

" _Go away Zeref! I never want to see you again!" She said, without turning to look at him. She didn't really mean it, since she loved him as well, but she was grieving at the moment._

 _The young man picked his sword and left. For the few years that followed, Zeref swore revenge on those creatures and traveled around the globe, killing every last dragon along with their human children. Mavis, on the other hand, also traveled and practiced the dragon magic that her mother had taught her. Along the years, she managed to save some children that had the same abilities and heritage as her. She also studied in secret her 'friend's' moves, analyzing him and creating spells that would cease him._

 _Three years had passed from their last encounter, and Zeref had eliminated every dragon apart from one. The one that he couldn't kill. The one that never escaped his heart, even after all these years. The one that was standing right in front of him…_

" _Zeref."_

" _Mavis."_

" _I see you have achieved your goal." She said, looking fiercely at him._

" _Not quite. In my dream you were standing by my side. As my partner, my best friend, my wife." His facial featured were anything but angry. They were soft, filled with love for the woman that he grew up with and had fallen for. As soon as Mavis saw him and heard his words, she softened as well._

" _I wanted to be with you, Zeref. But you had hatred in your soul, for creatures that you never even got to meet. And I don't even know where it came from. You were so caring and loving to everyone when we were younger, and that's why I fell in love with you. That day I had gathered the courage and came to your house to tell you that I loved you. And then I would take you to meet my mother. I trusted you completely and you shattered that trust in a matter of seconds." A few tears dropped on her cheeks._

" _I didn't know. I already told you that I never wanted to hurt you. I always wanted to rule this country, for everyone to praise me. Now I have everything, except for the one thing that I need most. You." He reached his hand for her to catch._

" _Zeref…" She said, looking deep into his eyes. On that moment she felt weak, as if she was ready to give in and forget her purpose. She too wanted to spend the rest of her life with him but she had to think of the safety of the world first._

" _Mavis, I love you." He said softly._

" _And I love you." She said as she accepted his hand and leaned close to him, her lips touching his. They shared a passionate kiss, both completely lost into it, and feeling the relief of finally experience what they craved all this time. They slowly pulled back and looked into each other's eyes. "And for that reason I cannot let you fall more into the darkness." She said and they both lit up._

" _Mavis. What's happening?" He slowly got separated from her, their hands still entwined, as light engulfed them both. There were two loud lightning strikes, one for each, that trapped them into two lacrimas._

* * *

"That was one of the spells that I created. And now that it is broken, I don't think he will allow me to use it again on him." Mavis said.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	15. Blessed Child

"This is how the two generations were created. My actions brought grief and pain to everyone. If only I had the strength to finish it, right where it started." The first master clenched her fists, her thoughts contradicting each other in her head.

"It's not a sin to fall in love." A voice was heard from the back of the room and everyone turned to look at its source.

"Levy…you can hear the first master?" Metalicana asked shocked and he raised both his eyebrows.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I?" She wondered. Why was everyone looking at her like that?

"No, I mean, you can actually _see_ her?" the silver haired dragon asked again.

"Sure, she's over there. Why are you all so surprised? I don't understand."

"Levy." Metalicana placed his hands on her shoulders. "Only those with dragon blood can see the first master." He said and Levy gasped. She moved her eyes left and right, trying to figure out why she, a human, had this ability. After a couple of moments, that she had calmed down, she looked back at Metalicana, who had a worried look.

"That's impossible. I'm not a dragon slayer. I know that for sure. So why?" She was terrified now, since she looked around and saw that none of the others seemed to have the slightest idea why this was happening to her. All the attention was drawn to Levy, forgetting about Zeref, and worrying about the matter at hand.

"Don't be scared. Since Gajeel is not here, I will take care of you for him. I have to return you safe and sound to my son or else he will kill me." Metalicana assured her and pulled her into a hug. Levy smiled into his embrace and maybe for the first time she felt a parent's touch. Sure, her grandfather would hug her, but this was different. Metalicana had become the closest she ever had to a father. "Levy, you mated with Gajeel, right?" Then it struck him.

"Y-yes, but, would that give me dragon abilities?" She blushed.

"I don't know. It is rare for a dragon to mate with a human but…" He told her and then turned his head to the side. "Grandeeney! Come over here please." He called for his sister, as he stroked the girls back.

The woman immediately understood her brother's hunch but, being a doctor, she had to check for herself. She walked over to them and held the girl's hand to soothe her and Levy flinched at the touch. "Easy, Levy. I won't hurt you." The pink haired woman said and gently placed her palm on the girl's lower abdomen. A mere second passed and she pulled it back fast, raised her head slowly, nodding to her brother.

Levy looked at them in question, realizing something but decided to keep it in the back of her mind. Metalicana tried to hide his growing smile, a foul try as Levy's eyes widened the second she looked at him.

"I-I can't be pregnant. I mean, Gajeel and I just mated a week ago…and I don't feel anything yet." She placed her hands on her stomach.

"I'm sure I'm right. There is a baby dragon in there." Grandeeney smiled and everyone at the guild cheered and shouted 'congratulations' to the new mother.

Levy couldn't hold her tears of happiness anymore. She covered her mouth with her hand, while the other stayed put on her stomach. She was going to have a baby…and Gajeel was the father. She felt amazing, dreaming of the two holding their child. She wasn't ready, that was for sure, but she had nine more months to prepare. First, she needed to find Gajeel and tell him. She only hoped he was alright, but somehow she knew. She felt like he was with her. Maybe it was one of those dragon bonds that came with the mating. Or maybe the little bundle she was carrying wanted to meet his or her daddy.

"I'm gonna be a grandpa!" Her line of thought was interrupted when Metalicana jumped on one of the tables and shouted in joy.

"Hey, is uncle crying?" Natsu asked his dad.

"That's definitely a first." Igneel nodded.

The first master walked close to Levy and caught her hands. "A life is created within a war. We now have to make sure it will be born within peace." She said.

"The blood of the baby allowed me to see you, first master." Levy said and looked down at her stomach. "You're already a special little one, aren't you?" She smiled.

"Come on now! We have to move out. We must save the others and defeat Zeref. I'm not letting my grandchild come into this world if it is like that. Let's go dragons!" Metalicana shouted and everyone rushed out of the building and towards the castle.

* * *

Meanwhile in the dungeons…

Gajeel held Wendy in his lap, who had just started to regain her senses. "Gajeel…san." She whispered with a throaty voice.

"Hey kid. Feeling okay?" He asked and helped her sit up.

"Yeah, my head hurts a little." She rubbed her head where she had taken the hit that dropped her unconscious.

"You fought bravely. Rest now and don't push yourself until you feel better." Erza kneeled next to her and praised the young girl.

"How's Evergreen?" Gajeel asked as he turned to Elfman, who had the brown haired woman in his lap.

"She doesn't look so good. I should have protected her better!" Elfman clenched his fists. "What I did was unmanly."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Elfman. I'm sure you did whatever you could." Bixlow tapped his shoulder.

"Gajeel, do you have any plans on how are we going to escape?" Erza noticed that Gajeel was lost in thought, rubbing his chin.

"I do." He only said and walked close to the iron bars, placing his hands on them.

"What are you going to do?" She asked as he licked his lips.

"Prepare to be amazed." He smirked and placed his teeth on the bars and took a bite of them. Erza scrunched her face in disgust as she watched him chew. "This is the most disgusting iron I've ever eaten. It's full of rust." He swallowed. "Here, we're free to go."

Erza headed out first followed by Wendy and Bixlow, Elfman who carried Evergreen and last was Gajeel to watch their six. They quickly found the tunnel they had entered from and got out. Suddenly, the dragons of the group fell on their knees and clenched their shirts above their hearts.

"What's wrong?" Bixlow asked.

"D-dark magic." Wendy stuttered.

"Impossible." Elfman said.

"We have to keep moving. I can smell the others. They're nearby." Gajeel said as he got Wendy on his back and the group reached the woods and the others, while following Gajeel's sharp nose.

"Dad!" Gajeel called.

"Gajeel, you're okay." He hugged his son after Grandeeney took her daughter off of his back.

"Not all of us. Auntie, take care of the wounded please." He said and pointed at Evergreen.

"Leave her to me." She said and rolled up her sleeves as Elfman placed Ever on some soft leaves.

"Take care of her." Elfman pleaded as he didn't let go of her hand.

"Is this a new habit of yours, kids? Going out there and picking humans as mates. Tsk!" That woman was able to read Elfman right off the bat.

"What was that massive black aura that we felt a couple of minutes ago?" Gajeel asked his father as he rested under a tree.

"The black hunter was freed. We cannot leave yet. We have to stop him." He answered.

"Hey, is that?" Gajeel pointed at the first master.

"Fear not, dear friends. For I have already made a plan. You will not approach Zeref in any way. You will just open a road for me through the soldiers. I may have lived for 400 years, but my body is still as vulnerable as a human's." Mavis explained.

They all started to move out towards the palace. As Metalicana helped Gajeel get on his feet, he sniffed the air and look at his father with a questioning look. "Why do I smell the Shrimp?"

After hearing that, she slowly walked forward, revealing herself. "Hey, Gajeel." She waved shyly, waiting for a scolding for being here. And that's what she got.

"What the hell are you doing here? Why did you bring her here?" He shouted.

"It was the safest. We didn't know if Zeref would have sent anyone at the guild. She will stay here with a couple of others." Metalicana explained.

"Aaaagh! This is so messed up. Could you leave us alone for a sec?" He rubbed the skin between his eyes, trying to think.

The other members decided to move first, giving the couple some privacy.

"Will you-" Gajeel started speaking but was immediately interrupted by her hands on his collar, pulling him down.

"You _will_ come back to me. Do you hear me?" She said with determination.

"Gi hee. I don't know. Do I have something to look forward to?" He decided to tease her at a moment like this. _Oh he sure had_ something worth living for and absolutely no idea about.

"I promise you. Come back in one piece. You won't regret it." She pulled him down in a heartwarming kiss. They held each other close, neither wanting to let go. Levy clenched his shirt in her fists as tight as she could, but she was the first to reluctantly push him slightly and break the kiss. "Go and win this war."

He gave her one last smirk and ran after the rest of the dragons.

"Just don't die, you idiot." Levy sobbed, her hands rubbing her stomach.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	16. Together At Last

"Calm down, girl. Your shivers make me nervous." Grandeeney said, annoyed.

"I…I'm just worried for everyone. I have a bad feeling."

"Don't worry, Levy. Brother is strong. He's going to be okay." Lily nudged closer to Levy, trying to also ease some of his own nervousness.

"I know but…I can't help it." She said as she looked over to the battle site.

* * *

"Ha! Got another one!" Natsu screamed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Salamander"

"How about a bet, metal face?"

"You're on. Whoever gets less, will have to write a praising song for the other."

The two dragons continued their rampage on the guards, opening a way to Zeref, just like they had planned. Suddenly though, when the number of guards had been reduced dramatically, Gajeel smelled something. He arched his neck up, trying to sniff the air. It was Levy, stumbling through the dead bodies to run close to him. "No." He whispered, anguish in his low voice, as he too ran towards her.

Then, out of nowhere, a hand shot behind her and grabbed her arm. Gajeel's eyes widened in fear and tried to push his legs to run faster. The soldier, that had grabbed Levy, pointed his sword to her chest, ready to impale her. Gajeel let his wings out and flapped them, dashing himself forward. The wings were the absolutely last resort in case of danger, and Gajeel could not thing of a moment more frightening than this one. And then it happened. The arm of the soldier, along with the sword, went flying five meters away, blood splashing all over the place. Levy opened her eyes, waiting to see Gajeel, but instead she was met with a familiar tattoo under her savior's right eye. It was the guard from her first day in Magnolia.

Everything happened so fast for her. Apparently, Gajeel saw Jellal save the girl and stopped on his tracks.

"Are you okay?" Jellal asked, helping Levy on her feet. She only nodded and turned to Gajeel, who was shooting the man a deadly glare as he geared on his iron scales. He wanted to kill this man. But the fact that he had just saved his mate from certain death stopped him, his own thoughts contradicting each other.

"Snap out of it Kurogane! I'm on your side. We have more important things to deal with right now than our personal grudges." Jellal shouted at him, as he held his sword downwards.

Gajeel somewhat relaxed and looked at Levy. He was only able to get one glance before everything went dark. The last thing he heard was her, loudly screaming his name. He fell on his knees and Jellal launched close to him, decapitating the foolish soldier that dared to touch the dragon slayer, and turned to check on Gajeel's back. One of his wings was almost severed, hanging down from his back. Levy stumbled and kneeled next to Jellal, crying and reaching her hand to touch her mate.

"Don't touch it!" Jellal quickly caught her wrist and stopped her. "Half of his soul has been cut off his body. But it looks like not completely. It still hangs from this thin thread."

"What will happen to him now?" She asked.

"I don't know. I haven't encountered another case so acute. Minor cuts heal themselves if the bearer is strong willed. But this is far worse. I believe it's up to him." Jellal explained.

"Gajeel please. Come back to me." She moved in front of him and caught one of his limp hands and held it on her cheek. Suddenly she felt his usually gentle hand to turn rough and scaly. Jellal caught her small body and lifted her a few steps back. Gajeel grunted a low growl and black scales started covering his body. His usual bright iron scales were now black and rough, horns forming on his knees and elbows. His canines grew and his face was now unrecognizable.

"What is happening to him?" Levy shook, terrified.

"His dragon side is taking over. I guess there is no way back now."

* * *

Mavis walked through her fellow dragon slayers, looking towards her target, Zeref, who was standing on a higher point of the falling castle. As soon as she reached there, the two stood opposite to one another, exchanging fierce gazes.

"You haven't changed a bit. You're as beautiful as I remember." Zeref's eyes softened and a small smile tugged on his lips.

"Is this some kind of trick, Zeref? How can you talk to me like that after what I did to you? I betrayed you." Mavis said, anger taking place on her face.

"You did betray me, Mavis. But I did too, long before you did. But how can I keep a grudge against you? It is true that I want to vanish every dragon from existence, and it looks like they have multiplied in those 400 years, but I cannot involve you as one of them."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Because they are my family and I'm not going to turn my back on them. But I am hurt to see that darkness still has a place in your heart." Mavis moved her gaze to the ground where dragons and humans fought.

"It is true. That my heart is as dark as the abyss, but there is a place that is brighter than the sun. The thought of you keeps this part alive and resistant to be devoured by darkness." Zeref slowly walked close to Mavis, her not even flinching, knowing that he would never hurt her.

"Zeref…have you ever thought how would our lives been if _we_ happened? If we chose to let aside each other's nature and be together? That our children would be dragons as well? Would you kill them because of your hatred?" Mavis looked directly into his eyes, a couple of tears threatening to escape from her green orbs.

"This is nonsense! How could I kill our own children? They would definitely be the second ones that would steal my heart. And I would definitely let them." Zeref caught her hands and brought them close to her face, planting a kiss on them.

"I see that there is no logic left in your mind." Mavis pulled her hands back and started walking backwards. Suddenly, the edge of the balcony under her feet, rumbled and fell, taking her with it. She screamed as she felt falling to her death. There would be no one to protect her family against the dark hunter this time. Her thoughts stopped when a hand shot down and caught her wrist.

"Hold on, Mavis. Don't let go of me." Zeref struggled to pull her back up.

"I won't." She smiled.

Zeref finally pulled her up and straight into his arms. She too hesitantly wrapped her arms around his shaking torso and buried her face to his neck.

"I almost lost you." He cried, not letting her go.

"You saved my life." She said.

"Mavis, I didn't mind being trapped into that lacrima for centuries, knowing that you were with me. But spending my life without you? That I cannot stand. I love you, Mavis." He pulled back and looked straight into her eyes.

"I love you too, Zeref. I thought that I would never use this spell. Besides, it cannot be activated unless two persons swear absolute devotion to one another, and there is absolute trust between them." Mavis caught his hands this time, cupping them tightly in hers.

"What are you going to do?" He asked as he looked to their entwined hands, which started glowing. At that moment he felt safe, like he knew his beloved would do something that would favor them both, and didn't even make a try to unlace his hands from hers.

"I'm giving both of us what we want most." She smiled.

Consciousness faded for both of them and they laid on the ground, next to each other, still holding hands.

Makarov sensed the change in magic aura and turned his head in search of the first master. "They're both down." He whispered. The soldiers that were left, saw that their master had fallen, so they too kneeled and surrendered, throwing away their weapons.

"Grandeeney!" Makarov called the doctor, and soon dragons along with the scouting legion gathered around the two unconscious bodies. The doctor placed her palms on their foreheads and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate.

"Can they be awoken?" Makarov asked.

"They can. This spell is easy to crack but…they don't want to be. It's like their consciences have traveled to a dream of some sort. They live in a world where Zeref never hunted the dragons. Instead, he met Mavis's mother and accepted their nature. He lost his desire for glory, gained by killing, after he learned about the first Master." The doctor explained.

"What else to you see?" Igneel asked his sister.

"Nothing for the time being. Their dream just started. It is up to them to form the life they both decide. What we must do, is to transfer their bodies somewhere safe."

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	17. Trouble Twins

**Okay everyone...this fanfic is coming to an end. There will be two more chapters, from which one with be the last and the other will be a small epilogue. The thing is this epilogue is yet to be written and I don't know when I will be able to finish it since I have started a new story, that needs a lot of research and imagination. The second reason is that exam period has started, so I have to concentrate in my studies for a month.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this long ride with me, I know I definately did. Chapter 18, the last as I said earlier, will be posted around the middle of next week. Until then...**

Gajeel found himself lying down on his stomach in a place that he didn't really know what it was. It was bright and blank all around him, nothing was noticeable, no buildings, no people, nothing. He didn't stand up, he stayed there with his eyes empty and half open. His mind was shut down, he couldn't remember anything. And he also didn't find a reason to move or to learn where he was.

Suddenly, tow voices were heard from the distance. Rather soft and high-pitched ones too.

"Come on Kofuku!" One said.

"I'm coming. I'm just scared and tired." The other answered.

"Hold my hand, I will protect you."

"Okay…"

Gajeel, with a very slow motion, moved his head to see to whom these voices belonged to. There were two kids, a boy and a girl. He sighed and moved his head to its original place, not really caring who they were.

"Daikoku, look!" The girl said.

"Let's go see." The boy replied and Gajeel heard fast light steps coming fast towards him.

"Is he dead?" The girl asked as the two stood before Gajeel.

"I don't think so." The boy kneeled next to his lying body and poked his head. "Hey! Wake up!"

Gajeel just suffered the annoying poking silently for some time, but then, when it got on his nerves, his hand shot up and caught the boy's arm midair, giving him a glare. The boy seemed frightened since the larger man's hold was too tight.

"You shouldn't annoy a stranger." He growled.

"Whoa! I thought you were really dead for a second." The boy placed his hands on his knees and huffed in relief.

Gajeel sat up and looked at the two, scanning them. "Who are you?" he simply asked.

"I'm Kofuku and this is my twin brother, Daikoku." The girl introduced themselves. "Now, stand up." She wrapped her tiny arms around his bicep, trying to pull him up. Gajeel obviously didn't budge.

"Leave him, Kofuku. He is a lost cause." The boy caught his sister's hand and started walking away.

When they were a fair distance away from him, Gajeel clenched his fists and teeth and stood up straight. "Hey!" He shouted. "I'm not lost!"

"Well, talk to us again when you decide to actually ask for our help." Daikoku turned and said.

"Do you brats know what this place is?" Gajeel walked close to the two, his hands in his pockets.

"You don't know?" Kofuku sent him a questioning look. "It's your mind, of course."

"Huh?!" Gajeel looked at them like they had three heads or something. Were they making fun of him? Or this place was actually what they claimed it was.

"This is why I said you were a lost cause. Look around you. It's empty, like you have no memories."

"What happened to them? I cannot have zero memories." Gajeel buried his fingers in his temples, trying hard to remember something. Anything.

"They somehow disappeared. But you're still here. Which means that you're not dead. But your soul is somehow not connected with your body." Daikoku explained.

"How do you know all this, brat?"

"This is why we are here. To help you remember." Kofuku went between the two glaring males, prompting them to stop.

"Fine…" Gajeel muttered.

The two kids walked forward and Gajeel followed. He had the chance to observe them. They looked like they were the same age. Maybe they were twins. The boy had pitch black wild hair and the girl had dark purple curls, which were held back with a yellow headband. He felt like he had seen this headband before, it looked oddly familiar. He also noticed earlier that they were both red eyed. Gajeel snapped out of his thoughts when the girl slowed her pace so that she walked next to him. He looked down at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Can I hold your hand?" She asked, smiling, as she reached her small hand up. Gajeel blinked a couple of times in disbelief. Usually kids were terrified of him and would cry and cower in fear even by the sight of his face. Wait, how did he know that? But this girl looked so comfortable around him that she had just asked to hold his hand, like it was perfectly normal.

"Okay." Gajeel said with a shaky voice and touched the girl's hand with the tips of his fingers, her small ones wrapping around his index and middle fingers. The smile that formed on her face and the blushing of her cheeks would be curved into his mind forever. How could someone so small and fragile so easily stay by his side?

"Look!" The boy pointed at something black in the distance. The three ran to it and found out it was something like a shadow. From its form it looked like a monster, with no resemblance to a human.

"My dragon self." Gajeel whispered and the kids turned to look at him.

"You know!"

"I…felt it."

"What else did you remember?" Daikoku asked.

"Not much. I feel some unusual emptiness in my heart though. Something is still missing." Gajeel clenched the fabric of his shirt right above his heart.

"Go! Take control of your body and go back to her."

"Her?" Gajeel asked.

"Mommy." Kofuku answered. "Levy." The girl's hands clenched tighter around his fingers.

Only that one word was needed for all of Gajeel's memories to return. It was like wave that passed in his mind, reminding him of everything he had lived in his twenty years of life.

"What did you say?" He asked the girl, looking down.

"You need to go back to mommy. She's been worried sick about you. Don't make her cry."

"Levy….is she your mother?"

"She is. You have to save her." Daikoku glared at the larger man, trying to persuade him to move.

"I cannot. I'm a monster. She has to move on and find someone she deserves, someone far better than me, and make you with him." Gajeel felt to his knees, punching the floor with both fists.

"You mean you haven't realized?" Daikoku looked at his sister, and then both turned their eyes on Gajeel.

"Don't you wanna see us grow up?" Kofuku said, tears falling on her rosy cheeks.

"W-what?" Gajeel stuttered, widening his eyes and raising his head to look at the children.

"We definitely want to live with you." Kofuku dried her tears with her sleeve and smiled to the crouched man. He never took his eyes, which would almost fall out of their sockets, off of them, as he took in the realization of who those two were.

"Is this…true?" He was now kneeled, as his legs were trembling, not allowing him to fully stand. The two stepped closer to him and smiled, placing their small hands on his, which was resting on his knee. He observed their looks. The boy was the spitting image of him in that age. The black hair, pointy nose and those snake-like red eyes. He was his alright. And the girl had a great resemblance to Levy. The fact that she was so small made him smile. But she was still young, she would probably gain some inches later. Her hair purple, a combination of back and blue, his and Levy's. They were also curly and all over the place, like her mother's, but that familiar headband kept them in place. Last but not least, her eyes were big and bright, but red in color.

"We're inside mommy right now. She is trying to save you. Go to her. Don't let your family down." Daikoku tightened the grip of his twin's hand.

It was a lot to take in. But the more he looked at them, the more tears threatened to escape his eyes. He wasn't even sure if they were telling the truth, or if they were just two imaginary figures his brain had created to play games with him. But, the more he thought about it, he liked the idea of having a couple of kids one day. He was almost sure though, he felt those two were his. His and Levy's offsprings.

Gajeel moved his arms around the kids and pulled them close in a heartwarming hug. They didn't miss to wrap their arms around him. "See you soon, brats." He whispered.

He then stood and walked over to the shadow of his dragon self, but before he stepped in he turned to take a last glance of his children.

"Do your best, Dad!" The two cheered. This was all he needed. He stepped into the shadow, light consuming the whole place.

* * *

Levy had started to believe that Gajeel was lost forever. The dragon was on his knees, completely motionless, as Levy shouted and pleaded for her mate to come back. When a grunt escaped his mouth, Levy moved back in fear. The creature lifted his arms and caught his head, a sign of struggling. Jellal acted fast, catching Levy from her arms and pulling her up on her feet.

"You'd better stay back." He warned as he placed her protectively behind him and tightened his grip on his sword.

The dragon tried to stand but it couldn't, ending up sitting on his knees. Then, the almost severed wing lifted and reattached itself to Gajeel's back. The dark scales started to turn back to their original silver color and then slowly those turned into human tanned skin. Soon, the dragon turned into his human form.

Levy moved around from Jellal and kneeled in front of Gajeel. His head was hanging down, not allowing her to look at his face. Hesitantly, she placed her hand on his bare shoulder, nudging it softly. "Gajeel?" Another grunt escaped, but this time it was softer. He raised his head and looked at her with those oh so familiar red eyes. "Is that you?" She cried, her bottom lip trembling.

"Who else do you expect, Shrimp?" He smirked and she immediately crashed on him, hands wrapping around each other's bodies. Jellal put his sword back in its sheath and walked over where the others were gathered. "You're crushing me, Shortstuff." Gajeel let out a gasp.

"No, I don't. Let me hold you a little longer. I thought you were gone." She buried her face in his neck.

"Gi hee. I won't be going anywhere, Shrimp. I have to stay with my family." He said and placed his palm flat on her stomach. Her gaze transferred between his eyes and his hand, wondering what he meant. _What else could he mean? But how does he know?_ She thought. "Levy, am I going to be a dad?" He asked softly.

"I found out earlier at the guild. I planned to tell you as soon as this battle was over. And listen to this. The first master said that out child will be blessed." She said, her eyes shining in joy, as his hands cupped hers tightly.

"Children. Not only one." He simply corrected her.

"Down boy, let us have one first and then we may start trying to have a second." She teased.

"No, Levy, I'm serious. We're going to have two kids. There are two in there."

"W-we're going to have twins?" She gulped. "How do you know?"

"Well, they helped me find my way back to you. It's a long story, not even I can explain the whole thing."

"Oh, Gajeel. I'm so happy! I love you!" She once again hugged him, more lovingly this time, knowing that they would soon welcome two bundles of happiness into the world.

 **This chapter was written before "Trouble Twins" was released, so it was a total coincidense that Gajeel and Levy will have twins here as well. It is just one of me head cannons, I can't help it. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.**

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	18. A New Start

**I know that I promised this chapter two weeks ago but as you know a lot has happened during that time. My ship became canon and then my beloved Gajeel died. I'm not sure of that's the case yet, but it definately felt like it. His heartwarming and at the same time heartbreaking speech felt like it was his goodbye.**  
 **I really do hope for his return but deep down something tells me that was it for him.**

 **I fell in love with Gajeel during the last episode of the Phantom Lord arc, where he talks with Natsu about their missing dragons. And then, when he threw himself between Laxus's lightning and Levy, something sparked inside me. I had never felt like this about any other anime or cartoon character ever, and I've watched a fair amount of them and have loved an adequate amount of characters. None of them was like Gajeel, though. I could not wait for the next manga chapter to be released and see him do his thing, and then looked forward to seeing the anime adaptation that always added a couple of more Gajevy scenes.**

 **A part of my heart broke as I read the latest chapter, knowing that after everything he went through, he had that end. Since then, I did not have the strength to write a happy story for him and my sudden break downs did not help either.**

 **I know that many of you will think I'm a weirdo for acting like this for a fictional character but meh, what can I do abou it? I'm a lonesome person with not many friends, and I found the support I needed in Gajeel. Even now, that I type his name, a couple of tears escape my eyes.**

 **This is the last chapter as far as the main story of this fic. There will be one more next week, which will be the epiloge. I will leave the goodbyes for the next chapter, so I'll let you enjoy this one first.**

* * *

Levy helped Gajeel stand on his feet, which were still shore. He passed one of his arms around her shoulders, using her for balance and they slowly started walking towards where everyone was gathered. The couple wondered why everyone was there, so they only had to walk over to find out. Levy was struggling to lift the large man, but she had to do her best. He had fought hard after all. Suddenly, another man came from behind them and took Gajeel's arm from Levy's grip and placed it around his own shoulders, taking her place. Levy turned and smiled at the man.

"Thank you." She said and stepped at the other side of Gajeel.

Gajeel turned his head towards his new and more comfortable prop. It was higher than Levy and provided better assistance. He was glad his Shrimp was still at his side, though. His brain was still fuzzy and having her near made him relieved.

"I'm gonna end up in your debt after today." Gajeel muttered.

"You don't have to worry. I'm the one who owes you. All of you. You're even more amazing than I thought. All these years I've been after you, my mind was clouded by my orders that I couldn't see the magnificent creatures you were. Thank you. For accepting me." Jellal said.

"I think I have to thank you. You saved my family." He turned and smiled at Levy. "I will never be able to repay what you did for me." He heard Levy laugh.

Then, out of nowhere, another man came from behind Levy, and passed Gajeel's other arm around his shoulders.

"Nii-san!" Levy squealed and hugged her brother. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I could help. Bixlow came and talked to me right before the operation started. He trusted me, for the first time. He said that I should join and explained the plan to me. So here I am."

"But we didn't even see you."

"I was in the back line, preventing anyone from approaching our check point."

* * *

By that time they had reached the area where everyone was. Thankfully, everyone looked okay, except for some cuts and bruises. They all turned to look at the three persons that were missing during the whole thing with Mavis and Zeref. Metalicana and Erza ran to them and each hugged their own loved ones.

"You're alright." Erza said as she buried her face into Jellal's neck.

"I was so worried, Erza. But I'm glad we decided to do this." Jellal answered and the two kissed.

In the meantime, Metalicana ran to his son and Levy, and hugged the two until Gajeel grunted in pain. He quickly pulled back and helped him.

"Take it easy, old man."

"What happened to you? You smell…different. More like a dragon."

"I took a step too close in becoming one. But those brats saved my ass." Gajeel laughed and pulled Levy to him.

"What brats?" Metalicana asked in confusion.

"My brats. The ones that are inside Shrimp."

"You're having twins? Whoa! I'm gonna be the happiest grandpa ever!" The older man grabbed the two in a tight hug and lifted them off the ground.

After the reuniting hugs were over, they all stepped into the circle around Mavis and Zeref's bodies. Quickly Grandeeney explained what happed to them again, and then tried to find a safe place to put their bodies.

Suddenly, Mavis's spirit escaped from her body and floated above it. Everyone stared with eyes wide open while she smiled.

"Thank you everyone. Now we are all safe and sound. Today, you showed the whole world that two kinds can work together, no matter their differences, to achieve a greater goal. So, for that reason, I will give you a gift, something that will be both for the dragon slayers and the scouting legion." Mavis said and held her hands, closed to a ball, near to her face. She closed her eyes for a moment and the reopened them along with her hands, a ball of light escaping them. After that her spirit form returned to her unconscious body.

Everyone's eyes followed the ball of light in anticipation and wonder. Soon, it came close to the ground, and the moment it touched it, it formed into a human, bathed in light. When the forming was complete, the light fell and a girl appeared from it. No one could believe their eyes.

"Lisanna?!" Everyone called.

The white haired girl looked around in awe, not knowing what had happened. First, her brother and sister crouched in front of her, taking her into their shaking arms. That didn't last long since every dragon slayer jumped on her, crying. Soon, though, she realized the situation. The last one to welcome her was Bixlow, who stood in the back, not being able to believe what was happening in front of him. When she spotted him through the crowd, she smiled and tried to walk to him. Everyone understood who she was going for and stood back.

The two were standing speechless, looking into each other's eyes, until the man broke the silence.

"I watched you die." His voice cracked.

"And now you watched me coming back to life." She answered, bringing her hands close to his face to lift his helmet and reveal his eyes. When she saw he wasn't responding, she slowly took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. After he made sure she was real, he gave in and brought his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as possible.

"I promise, I will never let you off my arms again." He whispered to her ear, as a couple of tears escaped.

"This could be an inconvenience, but I don't mind at all."

All the dragons and soldiers erupted in cheers, both for the reunion and that they had won the war by working together.

* * *

The month that followed was spent for most of them in the infirmary. It wasn't an easy battle after all. The healthy ones went out on the streets and started rebuilding the streets and buildings that had been destroyed and soon many civilians joined to help.

The master of Fairy Tail, along with the elders, decided to suggest a permanent treaty with the kingdom, which was now ruled, or maybe run by the scouting legion. It was some form of a council; with Jellal on the lead, and Erza as his trusted wife and second in command, the whole country was brought into an age of peace and prosperity.

Also, they voted for new laws, which stated the dragon slayers were no more outcasts and would be accounted as normal citizens and would get the same rights as them. There were people who disagreed, but soon everyone was persuaded after they saw they were not as bad as the previous king described them. They no longer had to live in secrecy and fear. They all got decent jobs and had now the chance to live in homes of their own, and not hide in some small dormitory. The guild was still there though and used as a place where all would meet and spend their free time.

Eight months later, Levy gave birth to two adorable babies, a boy and a girl, just like the ones from Gajeel's 'dream'. They named them Daikoku and Kofuku, from the gods of wealth and good fortune. The twins were the center of attention by everyone in the guild, but no one ever neglected the older baby boy of Laxus and Mira, named Nate.

Grandfather Metalicana was elated from joy for his son and his soon-to-be daughter in law. The stupid boy could not even gather the courage to ask her to marry him. But his decision of delaying their wedding plans proved to be the best, since their newcomers acquired most of their time and attention. So for at least a year they had their hands full. During that time, though, Bixlow and Lisanna stole their title of being the first human-dragon couple to get married, and they in turn added a new member in their family.

About a year and a half after the war, Elfman and Evergreen revealed to everyone that they were secretly dating during all this time. Mira's reaction was priceless. Ever was about to take away her little brother, but she decided to stand down since Elfman was ready to start his own family.

The only ones that didn't get together after the war were Gray and Juvia. Juvia confessed her love for him countless times but Gray was hesitant. He was saying he needed to think and talk with himself on what he wanted to do in his life. But just when Juvia thought things had started to warm up between them, he disappeared. She never lost hope though; she waited patiently for the day he would come back.

* * *

 _Gray neared the building he had grown to know so well. The Fairy Tail guild. He had not been there as much as the dragon slayers had, but he felt like he belonged there as well. He had also become great friends with Natsu, even though they caused rampage whenever they brawled. It had been two years since he left the city and three years after the war. Yet the guild sounded as lively as ever the more he approached its entrance._

 _He reached and twisted the door knob with the fairy engraved to it, and pushed the wooden door open. He saw many unfamiliar faces, it was early in the morning after all and the dragons got there definitely after noon, but he noticed the one familiar one standing behind the counter. She sent him one of her brightest smiles as she always did._

" _Hello, Mira." Gray said and sat on a bar stool._

" _Good morning, Gray. Welcome back."_

" _How have you been?" Gray spoke._

" _Pretty good. Busy with work and the little man." She turned to look at the young, blonde boy that was sitting on the foot of the staircase, drawing._

" _He has grown a lot."_

" _He'll be four in a couple of months. It was like yesterday that I changed his diapers and singing to him to sleep." Mira said with a nostalgic tone. "How about you?"_

" _Nothing. Been traveling a lot the last two years."_

" _Did you find what you were looking for?"_

" _Why would you assume I was looking for something?"_

" _Well, one only leaves so suddenly and without a word when he is in search of something important."_

" _No one can fool you, Mira. This is why Gajeel calls you 'demon'." Gray laughed._

" _What you haven't realized is that what you're looking for was here. And it still_ is _here."_

" _You mean…?"_

" _Yes. But are you finally ready to face it?"_

" _This is why I came back…I think."_

" _Nate, honey, could you please go to the guild hall and call auntie Juvia for mommy?" She spoke softly to her son._

 _The boy nodded, leaving his papers and color pencils down and running upstairs. Soon, he returned with Juvia following behind him._

 _Gray stood and looked at her with wide eyes. She was so beautiful. Even more than he remembered. The moment she saw him, she stopped on her tracks, covering her mouth with her hands and her eyes pooling with tears._

" _Would you give this idiot a second chance?" Gray said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly._

" _Gray-sama…" Juvia mouthed the words that she so much had missed saying in the last two years._

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya in the next one.**


	19. One Big Happy Family

**Hello everyone! I'm happy, can't you tell? My baby is alive and well and embarrassed and a dork and I love him. The moment I saw Zera say "You're still alive" all the frustration and sadness from his 'death' went away. And the first thing he thought of was his confession to Levy and omfg that blush 3**

 **Anyway, here is the official last chapter of this story. Hope you will like it. I want to thank all of you for sticking with me through this (long) story and that you loved it as much as I did. So, a big thank you to all that followed, favorited and reviewed this fic.**

 **My other story 'Read To Me' will be updated in two or three days. The third chapter is already written but I need to do some last editing.**

* * *

On Gajeel and Levy's five year anniversary, Gajeel decided to build a cabin on the mountain that Levy's old house was, but lower in altitude and much closer to the city. Gajeel made the house entirely of wood and iron. A large living room, a kitchen and a bathroom, plus two bedrooms and a second bathroom upstairs. It was all they needed. She was in a loss of words when Gajeel removed her headband from her eyes, revealing her his gift. Levy had grown up there anyways, and he though she must had missed that place. This cabin was used as a get-away plan for the couple and for vacation for the whole family.

When Lily reached his teens, he decided to leave Magnolia and travel the world. He wanted to find if he had any living relatives and Metalicana encouraged him to the fullest.

* * *

Ten years after the war…

The Redfox family had just returned from their one month vacation on the mountains and they were both excited and sad to be back in magnolia. The twins could not wait to see their grandfather and their cousins, Natsu and Lucy's kids. Gajeel had Kofuku on his shoulders, one hand holding their luggage, and the other was on his daughter's leg to keep her steady. Daikoku was always independent, but also a mommy's boy, so he held his mother's hand tightly.

When the guild was close enough, they noticed Metalicana exiting from the front door and the twins cheered in happiness.

"Grandpa!" They shouted, Daikoku letting go of Levy's hand and running to him. Gajeel, knowing his child well, caught Kofuku from her sides and placed her on her feet. She followed her brother fast, and the two crashed into Metalicana's arms, who lifted them up, one on each arm.

"Careful, old man. They're not toddlers anymore. They're pretty heavy." Gajeel said, as he smiled to his father.

"Grandpa is so strong that he can lift both of us." Daikoku said and Gajeel scoffed. Levy and Kofuku giggled at their reaction. They knew all too well that father and son were as similar at two water drops. And for that reason there was some spite between them.

"Daddy is stronger than Grandpa. Daddy is the strongest man in the whole world." Kofuku voted for her dad. Kofuku grew up every day to look more and more like her mother. Her hair, her love of books, and the way she talked and walked, even their unconditional love of Gajeel, made them identical. Not that the boy did not love his father, but being a daddy's girl, Gajeel was Kofuku's soft spot and vice versa.

"DID I HEAR METAL BRAIN?" A voice screamed from the guild hall, and a person jumped off the window. The pink hair of his were a dead giveaway and the fact that he shouted from the top of his lungs 'Fight me Gajeel!' made the studded man jump towards him and clash with him midair.

"Levy!" Lucy called from the window of the guild hall and ran quickly downstairs to greet her friend. The two girls hugged, missing each other's company after one month away.

"I missed you, Lu-chan!"

"I missed you too! We'll talk about your vacation later. Now, come and see who else is back." Lucy caught her hand and walked closer to the guild, where everyone gather to welcome them.

From the crowd emerged a very tall, muscular, dark-skinned man that had a deep scar right next to his left eye.

"Looks like the long lost son is back." Gajeel said with a smirk. "Welcome back, brother." The two men hugged, patting each other's backs. Once they pulled back, it was Levy's turn to hug him.

"We missed you, Lily." She said with tears in her eyes.

Levy and Gajeel went to their home first to clean and unpack, leaving the kids to their grandfather. It was dusk by the time they finished and they decided to head to the guild for dinner. The Redfoxes sat on a table all together to eat and share their news from the last three months.

"So, Lil'. Did you find what you were looking for?" Gajeel asked.

"Heh, brother, I stopped searching for anything about a year after I left."

"Then why didn't you come back?" Levy said.

"I searched for my long lost family, but then I realized I already had a family. A father and a brother, a sister, a nephew and a niece. And not to mention all of Fairy Tail. If this family is not enough, I don't know what is. After that, I joined a military training program in a city nearby and I graduated last month. Erza even tested my abilities and offered me the place of Captain of the elite team of soldiers here."

"That is amazing, Uncle Lily!" Daikoku cheered. "Daddy, can we go play?" He asked his father with puppy eyes.

"Only if I see that plate of yours empty. Eat the rest of your chicken and the vegetables too." Gajeel used his utensils to cut the fillet in bits, so the boy would eat easier. "Eat up and then you can go play."

The boy scoffed but started eating, scrunching his face every time he chew the veggies. Once he was done, he cleaned his hands and mouth with a napkin, took his sister's hand and ran to another room.

"Is that the same boy?" Metalicana asked. The whole time Daikoku was interacting with Gajeel, the grandfather was observing in awe.

"What are you talking about?"

"He is...polite and… obedient. And he did not argue with you."

"We decided Dai needed some discipline. If he was getting out of hand and bossing around at the age of nine, what would he do as soon as he reached his teens?" Levy explained.

"Did you-" Lily looked at Gajeel.

"No! Of course not. Who do you think I am? The thought of hitting my children never even crossed my mind. I spent some quality time with him."

"We all know he'd rather play with only the girls than to hear your lectures." Metalicana joked.

"I started teaching him to fight. And also the sword. It was what Lily loved too at his age so I thought it would be a good idea.

"Why though? Did something happen?" Lily asked.

Gajeel and Levy exchanged a painful glance. "Let's say he endangered himself and his sister once. So we agreed to prepare them. It helped Dai a lot and his steep behavior changed in a matter of days."

* * *

 _It was almost the end of July, and Gajeel and Levy decided to go hunting for dinner, leaving their offsprings at home. It was not the first time the two nine year olds stayed back alone and that evening was not going to be any different._

" _Kofuku! I'm bored." Daikoku complained._

" _And what do you want me to do? Mom and dad will be here soon."_

" _Hey, what do you say we go for hunting? It will be fun."_

" _Are you crazy? We don't know anything about hunting."_

" _How hard can it be? We'll go after a rabbit or something." Without any further notice, Daikoku opened the front door and ran outside, his sister hesitantly following behind him._

 _Gajeel was for half an hour now at the trail of a deer, but that damn animal did not stay put. It was already injured so it couldn't run so fast, but it slipped away from him almost three times now. He hoped his wife would have better luck. She was at a different side of the mountain, so there was no danger meeting one another._

 _Suddenly, Gajeel heard one of the loudest, high-pitched screams of his life. Unfortunately, he knew very well who it belonged to. The deer was long forgotten as he launched to the site where he heard the scream. His mind was blank, setting all his concentration to his ears._

 _After some minutes of running, he located his daughter, crouched on the ground, crying her eyes out. Not far away was his son. Under the claws of a male bear. The large animal hit the boy, sending him a couple of meters to the side, before walking to his lying form, ready to impale him with his teeth. When Daikoku opened his eyes again, he met with his father's back, him holding the bear from attacking._

 _Gajeel was at a disadvantage, since it was standing on two legs, while its front were clawing his sides. But the pain never came. All that mattered for him was to drive the animal away from his family. His only option was his wings, so he did not hesitate to free them. He had promised he would never use them again after the war, but if there was an appropriate time for them, it was now._

 _The silver dragon wings tore Gajeel's shirt and flapped behind his back. His fingers turned to talons and his teeth grew sharper. With much more strength now, he pushed the bear back and roared at it from the top of his lungs._

 _Scared now, the male bear cowered slowly to the back, before running away._

 _Levy, having just arrived after hearing the scream, ran to Daikoku taking him onto her lap. Fortunately, he suffered only from some minor cuts and bruises. She hugged him tightly, before watching Gajeel returning to his full human form. The two kids, this being the first time to see their father like this, stared wide-eyed._

" _Gajeel…" Levy said._

" _Take Kofuku home." Levy only nodded and took her daughter's hand. She knew all too well, Daikoku was going to get the scolding of his life, and it was not her job, in this particular situation, to discipline him._

 _When the two females were out of sight, Gajeel turned and started walking. "Follow me."_

 _Soon, a baby deer appeared at the distance. The boy stopped in his tracks, not knowing what to do. Gajeel crouched behind a boulder and turned his head to him, reaching out his hand. "Come, and don't make a sound." He whispered, and his son reluctantly walked to him, crouching close._

" _Look, this little guy ran away from its herd. Look how vulnerable he is." Gajeel explained, looking at how his son's eyes were dilated. Before his eyes could realize, a red fox jumped onto the baby deer, catching it from its neck. The pray fought for a while before giving up to its fate. The boy took a large inhale of breath from the startle and scooted closer to his father. Gajeel, seeing his reaction, placed his large hand at the small of his back to reassure and calm him._

 _The herbivore was now dead and the carnivore stood proudly above it. The fox barked and two young foxes, her offsprings, exited from the bush they were hiding, and headed to their dinner. The mother let her little ones eat first before she dug in._

" _See? It's the parents' job to do the hunting, while the cubs stay back and observe. As they grow up, they will learn and will be their turn to hunt." The man said to his boy, who had all his attention on him. Gajeel picked him up and headed back home. Daikoku just now realized the danger he was in and clenched his father's shirt in his fists, while finally letting the tears fall._

* * *

"That night, for the first time he apologized to Gajeel. Of course, he accepted it and agreed to start their training. After that, Dai became more obedient and came much closer to Gajeel." Levy finished her story.

"Heh, I can still remember the little guys face as he tried to get his wings out. At some point we thought his head was going to explode from all the puffing and struggling." Gajeel continued.

"Did he do it?" Lily asked.

"No, but Kofuku did, so now he has much more motivation and will try harder."

"Just like when Natsu grew his wings, while you hadn't." Metalicana joked, but Gajeel wasted no time getting back to his father.

Levy only watched the Redfox boys spar and she could be sure all the males of their line would never change. She only hoped that her children would grow up to be kind and fortunate, and that she and Gajeel would grow old together, while their love would still burn bright just like when they first met.

 **Hope you bros enjoyed. If you did, go ahead and give a review and a favorite. See ya!**


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